Surfacing
by Gecko Osco
Summary: Based loosely off of “The Little Mermaid.” A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world. But when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed. 3x4, 1x2, 5xS
1. Chapter 1

_**Surfacing (1?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter One: _Once Upon a Time…_**

Long ago, there lived a king and a queen who wanted nothing more than to have children. Their wishes were made a reality when a daughter was born to them, and then a son three years later…heirs to the vast seaside kingdom of Bartona. The girl grew into a beautiful child, with curly red hair and large bluish-purple eyes, and the son did not differ, although he had a shock of auburn hair that hung over one side of his face and two deep verdant eyes. The people of Bartona lived in peace and prosperity under the king's rule…until tragedy struck and destroyed the lives of four innocents.

The king's distantly related cousin, Dekim, was jealous of the power wielded by his family member…power that he believed should be his own. So, he conspired to rid the lands of Bartona of the royal family…an ambush that attacked the royal carriage when the king took his family out for a mid-afternoon ride one day. The king and queen were brutally slain, and only by sheer luck did the children survive, thanks to both children's prowess with throwing daggers and a routine patrol that got lost on their way back from the woods.

But, even though both the prince and princess were spared, they still lived with the knowledge that their own kin had attempted to kill them, and had killed their parents for little more than wealth and power. A thirteen year old maiden and a ten year old boy forever changed by the horrific events.

As both grew, the princess, Catherine to her people and Cathy to her closest confidantes and family members, grew into a beautiful young woman and grew more compassionate with each passing moment. However, the same could not be said for her brother, the crown prince. True, he did grow up to be a handsome young man, tall and slender, with regal features and those same piercing green eyes, but he grew cold and uncaring. And, while many attempted to change his cold demeanor, he maintained his cool indifference to all but his sister, and his closest friend and arms master, Heero. But, then again, Heero was just as closed off as the prince was.

Cathy tried to open up her little brother again, tried to show him the compassion that was left in humanity, by allowing different suitors, male and female alike, to come and try to woo him…but none prevailed.

And so the years past by in Bartona, the prince growing ever more detached from the world, until his eighteenth birthday…when his entire world was flipped around by a mysterious stranger…

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A thousand miles away, deep below the sea, a young merman sat staring up at the faraway surface with a faraway look on his face. He wasn't supposed to be around the sunken ships, the ones that the 'barbaric humans' sailed around above the sea, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to them…he didn't see how such magnificent vessels, once so proud, could be created by monsters. But, Quatre Raberba Winner, only son of King Rabban, the ruler over all the oceans, didn't always agree with his father ever since he turned sixteen…and this was one of the issues.

He sighed as he looked back down at the ruined ships, narrowing his brilliant teal eyes, eyes that seemed to mirror the ocean itself, at the wreckages before kicking with his similarly colored fins and swimming towards them. What his father didn't know, wouldn't hurt him…he wanted to see what those ships looked like from the inside…

"You know, Quat," a jovial voice said from behind him, causing the blonde prince to whip his head around and glare at his companion. "It would be an awful shame if you got smashed by one of those things…because then I'd be stuck explaining to Sally, and to Wufei, and to your sisters, oh and your FATHER, that their precious prince got smashed on my watch. Awful rude of you to force something like that on me, isn't it?"

Quatre shot his friend a mischievous grin and replied in a smooth tenor that sounded purer than any bells beneath the sea. "Then I guess you'll just have to come with me and make sure nothing happens to poor little me then, won't you?"

"You're a bad influence on me Quatre," the braided merman said with a similar smile, his violet eyes twinkling playfully as he kick his purple fins and swam over towards the blonde merman. His three foot long chestnut braid floated behind him and Quatre swatted at it playfully before swimming towards the ships again, this time with Duo Maxwell, his best friend from childhood, beside him.

"I know…but at least I make life more interesting," Quatre sighed melodramatically, laughing afterwards as Duo shot him an incredulous look.

Duo alone in all of Araaba was the only other merman, or mermaid, who didn't think that humans were barbaric monsters…he was interested in them just like Quatre was, and it made sneaking away to look around at different sunken ships and other sunken human artifacts a lot easier. He had even accompanied Quatre to the surface a few times…it was the sky, so full of clouds that got Duo as well. Sally, the local healer in Araaba and wife to the court mage Wufei, didn't think that humans were bad either…but she didn't share Quatre's interest like Duo did.

The two swam towards the first ship and investigated the inside, slipping their slender forms through a medium opening in the hull, laughing at their own daring and marveling at the once elegant quarters that belonged to one of the humans. They continued in this fashion for another couple ships, until one caught their interest…one that had a slightly inaccurate form of a mermaid on the front. After searching, separately as to cover more ground, Quatre brushed his hand against something cold and smooth…and silver. He grinned and pushed away the fine silt to uncover the silver and pronged device…he was keeping this too. Duo came back with a curve and wooden tool, one that looked like a horn of some kind, and after a bit more exploring on the upper most deck, they both decided to head back.

"Do you have nay idea what this is for?" Duo asked with an inquisitive look on his face as he examined his wooden finding. "Maybe you blow it and it makes music…like a bugle or something…hey Quat, what's wrong?"

"Music…oh no," Quatre murmured with a horrified expression on his face, turning big teal eyes on Duo in a look of absolute despair. "The concert…oh my…"

"Oh shit…that was today!" Duo breathed out through clenched teeth as his own eyes widened considerably at the sudden nastiness that was sure to await them when they got home. "Oh crap, Wufei's going to skewer me with that katana of his!"

"By Allah…my father's going to kill me!" Quatre moaned as the two both took off towards the Araaban palace, swimming as fast as they could…things could not get any worse than they were at the moment.

The annual Seaflower concert was a huge event in Araaba, mainly because it showcased many of the graduating students who learned under Wufei, when he wasn't the court magician at any rate. But, this year, Wufei had planned a rather lengthy composition that showcased every single one of his twenty-nine sisters…and then finally he was supposed to sing at the end. Not only had he disappointed his father by not showing up when he was supposed to, he had just incurred the very fearful wrath of Chang Wufei…nope, the day had definitely taken a deep dive.

"Duo, you were supposed to remind me, damn it!" Quatre hissed as the two began to slow their furious pace down as they entered the back entrance to the palace.

"Well, who the hell entrusted me with that responsibility?"

"Wufei did, Duo!"

"Why couldn't you remember…you WERE the one who was singing, you know."

"Because…oh, I don't know!"

"I don't know indeed…your Highness, Maxwell…it's nice to see you've finally decided to grace us with your presences."

Both mermen froze at the tone, and turned around very slowly to be met with a pair of very upset nearly black, slanted eyes, a pair of eyes that seemed to echo in the new merman's entire powerful body. Yes, Wufei was very upset with them. Wufei, although barely much older than the prince and Duo, was very intimidating when he wanted to be, and had the power to back it up. The red tattoo's that marked out intricate symbols on his arms almost seemed to glow against his saffron skin, and marked him for a powerful mage. Mages, both male and female, were measured in how much power they had by the intricacy and amount of birthmark tattoos…the more intricate and complex, the more powerful the mage.

"Wufei…I…" Quatre began in a truly apologetic tone, only to be cut off by an angry glare sent his way by the black-finned merman.

"Your father wishes to speak with you, Prince Quatre," Wufei said in clipped tones, gesturing with one hand the way for the blonde monarch to follow. "I suggest you don't make him wait any longer than you already have."

Quatre nodded with a neutral expression…he could feel the mage's disappointment like one could sense the temperature of the water, and he knew that his father was going to be ten times worse. He could faintly hear Duo beginning to argue with Wufei behind him as he swam ahead; he had a feeling Duo was criticizing Wufei's choice to have him remind Quatre about the concert solely for his benefit…he smiled briefly to himself at the thought.

He took a deep breath before entering the main chamber, trying to focus on anything but the stark rays of disappointment and anger filtering down on him from the cold stare in his father's brown eyes. His father was an impressive merman to be sure, tall and broad chested with a thick brown tail and fin and a magnificent, enchanted scimitar that recognized him as the High king of the oceans. Quatre didn't look a thing like him, and had really only inherited the man's stubbornness…he took after his mother in almost every way, shape, and form. And it was that reason, Quatre suspected that his father was so protective of him…he was a reminder of his late mother in a way that no picture could provide.

"Quatre," Rabban Winner's deep voice rang out through the chamber as Quatre swam up to eye view…by Allah he was angry. "Do you have any idea how thoroughly you ruined the end of the Seaflower concert? You had a responsibility to your sisters, to Wufei, to me, and you blatantly disregarded all that for what? Tell me what was so important that you couldn't make it for one song and had to embarrass all your sisters and Wufei in front of the entire kingdom of Araaba!"

"I--" Quatre began with a slight shake in his voice at the severity of his father's ire, a shake that he quickly masked as he leveled his teal eyes with brown ones. "I just forgot…I know that's not an excuse but…"

"So, this has nothing to do with you gallivanting off to explore sunken human ships? Ships that I have forbidden you from investigating for your own safety should more of that brutal race come back to collect those horrible fish-killing vessels? And what of the times you have traveled to the surface? Do you think I want to find my only son a victim of one of those harpooning animals?"

"I…how did…they're not barbaric Father," Quatre responded, swimming back a few strokes as his father raised himself and swam forward to tower over him.

"What you happen to believe is not the matter at hand! You deliberately disobeyed me and you continue to do so…how are you supposed to learn how to be a good heir to the Araaban throne and the Scimitar if you refuse to listen to any of my counsel?"

"Well, maybe I don't want to--"

"Not another word! I have had it with your arrogance and your attitude towards humans! You are never to go anywhere near those ships, or to the surface again, am I clear?"

"I…yes Father," Quatre responded with a tight-lipped expression, glaring at his father for a moment before turning around and swimming away towards his quarters, Duo following after a second's hesitation. Rabban heaved a weary sigh and ran a hand over his face as he swam back to his throne, sitting down, unflatteringly, with a grunt.

"I wish I didn't have to be so hard on him, Wufei," the king's tired voice said quietly, addressing his mage and closest advisor. "But he just doesn't listen to anything I tell him! He's much to stubborn to listen to nay reasoning but his own…"

"Sounds like someone else I know," Wufei responded with a slight nod.

"Perhaps…Quaterine used to say the same things he says…about humans and how they aren't dangerous…he's so much like her in some ways, I fear that if I ever lost him, it would be like losing her a second time.

"Wufei, I need you to do me a favor…keep an eye on Quatre and keep him, and that rapscallion Duo as well, from getting into trouble for a little bit…maybe it's just a phase he's going through."

"Sire…I don't think that I'm the right choice for this task," Wufei began, eyes widened in surprise at the king's request.

"You're the closest to their age that I can trust…they listen to you more than anyone else. You're perfect, and I can count on you…now, I have some business to take care of concerning Romefeller and their vile sea witch…" Rabban swam away from his throne to a more personal room, leaving Wufei to sputter indignantly for a few moments before all he was left with was to swim after the rebellious prince and his encouraging best friend. Before he made it to the prince's quarters though, a blonde mermaid with light blue eyes and fins swam in front of him, her arms laden with all sorts of jars and poultices.

"The king put me on baby-sitting duty," Wufei grumbled as he opened the door for his healer wife. "Can you believe the injustice of his decision?"

"Well, he obviously trusts you to watch his son…I anything, I'd say he showing you respect by giving you this job," Sally responded with a quick grin before continuing. "Just, don't go berserk on them when you follow them…there's more to this than just teenage rebellion."

Before Wufei could ask what his enigmatic wife meant, she had pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and departed down another corridor…merfolk needed to learn to stay in one spot and explain themselves before leaving so quickly. Before he could sputter in indignation again though, a flash of teal and purple caught his eyes…looks like the prince was already disobeying his father's wishes…time for the court mage to baby-sit an errant prince. Wufei groaned inwardly and took off silently after the two young mermen. They didn't seem to head off to far from the city, instead they both seemed to be heading towards one of the abandoned grottos just on the outskirts. Wufei was about to wonder what they were doing, when they both seemed to disappear through a small opening, not visible to the naked eye. Wufei followed them inside, but kept himself hidden in the shadows, just listening to their hushed conversation.

"…understand…he doesn't see all the things that I see, or that you see."

"I know Quat…and I feel terrible about the whole concert thing, it was kind of my fault."

"No, it wasn't. I should've remembered…I bet all my sisters want to beat me senseless right now…probably Wufei too."

"Yeah, but your dad shouldn't have blown up like that…you'd think you had blown up a building or something…"

"He just hates anything to do with humans…but, I wish I could just make him see all the amazing things that they make…and maybe he'll see what I see."

"What exactly, Quat?"

"That how can people who make such wonderful things that are so beautiful, be so bad?"

Wufei peeked around the corner and saw the blonde prince and the braided baka seated on the sand…but it was what surrounded them that really made his eyes bulge. Every single space was crammed with strange artifacts that Wufei knew were human objects…it must have taken the two of them years to collect all of this. Before he even knew what he was doing, the mage swam out from his hiding spot and hissed in a low voice, "What's all this?"

"Wufei!" Quatre and Duo exclaimed at the same time, expressions mirroring each other in horror at being discovered.

"How long have you been gathering these items?" Wufei asked in a still surprised tone.

"A few years," Duo answered with a sheepish grin.

"Please don't tell me father, Wufei," Quatre pleaded, using every ounce of innocence his looks allowed him to try and sway the mage in his favor. "Please, he'd never understand all this."

"I'm not sure I understand all this," Wufei muttered, trying to avoid looking at the wide teal eyes.

"We just want to show merfolk that humans aren't all that bad," Duo added in, also widening his violet orbs.

"If I say you can keep this, will you promise to not gather any more items from those damn ships?" Wufei asked in an exasperated tone…he had looked at the eyes. That, and Sally's words from earlier were ringing in his ears; maybe it would be a good idea for merfolk to learn more about humans. Fear of the unknown was dangerous…at the very least they could learn a bit about the enemy.

"Yes, just please don't tell my father about this."

"Fine…"

Quatre's face spilt into a brilliant smile and he gave Wufei a short nod of thanks while Duo hugged him and proclaimed his ever-lasting love for the mage merman. After giving Wufei a short tour of different tools and objects, Duo interjecting what his thoughts each of the items were occasionally, the three decided to head back towards the palace…better to play safe than sorry with Rabban as angry as he was. However, as the three wiggled out of the hidden cave, their attentions were drawn to the surface and the flashing lights and sounds reflected on the water.

"What do you think…" Quatre trailed off before swimming upwards without a second thought.

"Does he always do this?" Wufei asked with a groan as Duo smiled and began to follow.

"Yep…better get used to it Wuffers."

"Maxwell!"

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"Well, isn't this interesting…looks like daddy's little boy doesn't like to cooperate with his father. We could use that pretty little merman…for Araaba's downfall."

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Please do me the favor and review! They are all greatly appreciated! More to come soon!

Osco


	2. Chapter 2

_**Surfacing (2?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Two: _There Lived a Sad Prince_**

Quatre took off for the surface, curiosity burning through his veins as much as the anticipation of breaking the ocean's surface was. The booming noises happening above his head were loud, even muffled by the water, and the brightly colored lights that peppered the ocean's face made him grin…the consequences of his actions be damned at this moment. If he didn't go now and see whatever this commotion was, he just knew he'd regret it for the rest of his life…the question was he didn't know how he knew that. He could vaguely hear Wufei shouting after him, telling him that he was an idiot, but he didn't turn around to acknowledge him…the poor court mage didn't really know what he had gotten himself into when he agreed to 'watch' over him.

Quatre slowed his pace right before he broke the surface, easing his body out from the fluid ocean to the clear surface. He felt his gills shrink away so he could breathe air, and inhaled the crisp, cool air deeply as he closed his eyes; when he opened his teal eyes once more to focus on the stormy looking sky that was being colored with sparkling lights. He smiled and let out an excited laugh as the colors danced with each other, twisting around each other in a sinuous pattern that reminded Quatre of deep sea coral…and all the lights were coming from a huge, floating ship. It had a tall spire sticking out from the middle of it, cloth attached to it and billowing with the sea wind…the merman prince had never seen a ship that was afloat before…he laughed again. The waves of the ocean's surface were jolting and roiled to and fro almost violently, but the blonde merman didn't care.

He felt Duo and Wufei surface on either side of him and smiled brightly as both gasped at the scene before them; looks Wufei could be surprised after all. Quatre looked at each before focusing back on the massive ship, still sending off the sparks into the night sky. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Sure is," Duo said in an awe-struck tone, his violet eyes wide and a huge grin on his face. "I wonder what all those lights are going off for…"

"Let's find out!" Quatre said with a laugh as he dived back into the water, swimming towards the ship as fast as he could…he didn't want to lose the ship, or Wufei to come out of shock and realize what he had done. His lithe body cut through the water with ease, his teal fins propelling him faster than any paddles could to a ship, and much sooner than humanly possible, Quatre was at the side of the ship, resurfacing out of the water and feeling drawn to the sounds of music and talking coming from above. Quatre looked back and forth for a few minutes along the side of the ship before he found something he could use…a rope that led to a small stepping area. Quatre smiled again as he levered his body out of the water and pulled himself up the length of the ship.

It was quite difficult, he could only use his arms and upper body to pull himself along, his heavy fin and tail hanging behind him, and n the surface air, he wasn't cushioned by the feeling of weightlessness. He made it up to a ledge that he could sit on comfortably, close, but hidden and out of sight; all with a little gap in between the planking that allowed him to peek in at what the humans were doing on their ship…and he couldn't help but smile as he saw them dancing and reveling in some sort of celebration. Most had drinks in their hands, and some were playing strange looking instruments to Quatre, but the sound was pleasing…he felt vindicated at watching the humans. They really weren't that different, humans and merfolk.

Quatre felt something step close to where he was hidden, and he ducked back quickly, hoping he hadn't been caught…but nothing happened. He turned back and was met with a furry face that reminded him of sea lion, all golden brown and regarding him with curious golden, slit-like eyes. Quatre smiled tentatively at the unknown animal and reached out a hand, gasping at how smooth the fur on the creature was. He scratched the little creature behind its ears and smiled at the humming sound made in the back of its throat…and then he was licked on the side of his face with a rough tongue before the little animal scampered off. He rubbed his cheek and looked back through his small window at the revelry, examining each face with scrutiny and then he saw…

"Oh Allah…" Quatre gasped as a tall young human stepped into his view, followed by a shorter but powerful companion and an old man with a covering over his nose, and he felt his heart beat faster. This human had to be the most beautiful creature that the ocean prince had ever seen…a shock of reddish-brown hair covering half of his face, skin the color of warm cream, and form that was slim but powerful…he was beautiful. He didn't notice the dreamy smile that overtook his features as he rested his head on his folded arms, content in gazing at this man for as long as he could.

"My Prince," the older man said with a short bow and smile at the tall man, signaling the crew to quiet down…good, now Quatre could hear everything…maybe he'd get the _prince's _name. "The crew, along with myself, wish to wish you a happy birthday! It's not every year that you turn eighteen, and to honor this momentous occasion, I present to you you're birthday present!"

The tall prince merely smirked at the younger man next to him as an elegant tapestry was torn off of a massive structure to reveal a majestic statue underneath. It depicted the prince in a battle stance of some sort, one arm laden with a heavy crossbow while the other held a long hunting knife, similar to those that the palace guards carried in Araaba. The statue had an intense look on his face, and his entire face was in view, Quatre found it somewhat comical and had to stifle a laugh behind his hand.

"It's…nice, S," The prince answered in a rich baritone, a voice that made Quatre's heart beat faster yet again…he sounded so cold and detached, but there was humor buried deep within. "I'm sure Cathy will approve."

"I was hoping it could be thought of as a betrothal gift," S said grumpily…Quatre felt something unknown stir in his stomach at the words though…this prince wasn't betrothed!

"I'm sure my sister agrees with you," the prince answered with a wave of his hand as he and his silent, dark-haired companion walked towards the furry creature who had allowed the blonde to pet it earlier. Quatre stared at the prince as he pet the animal himself…and allowed a small smile to cross his cold features as the animal rubbed his face into the gentle looking hands. The merman was so lost in his gazing, that eh didn't notice another form sidle beside him until he spoke in his ear.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Quat?" Duo's voice asked in a knowing tone as he followed the blonde prince's gaze to the tall man dressed in black and dark greens.

"_Him_," Quatre answered with another brilliant smile as the man raised himself and began walking back towards him and Duo. "He is handsome, isn't he?"

"I like the shorter one myself," Duo said with a saucy wink, indicating the harsh looking young man dressed in dark blue with a long sword secure at his side. "But yes…I'd say both are pretty good lookin.' Of course, no one can beat us, but they are humans…they can't be expected to."

Quatre's eyes smiled as he gave his violet eyed friend a quick grin and then motioned him to be quiet as the prince and his two companions returned near the two mermen's hiding spot. The tall prince sat on the edge of the ship's railing, directly above Quatre's head, in a casual manner that looked effortlessly elegant.

"…that you should give it some thought, your Highness," the old man called S said, a little bit of desperation heard in his nasally voice. "I think you would be very happy in the long run if you just gave it some thought…we do you insist on pushing away every man or woman who comes calling?"

"Maybe I don't wish to marry," the prince answered in an indifferent tone…but Quatre saw through the voice as he craned up his head and got a good look at the gazing prince…he had beautiful green eyes that seemed much greener than any of the greenest kelp in the sea. His face looked…sad. Quatre bit his lip as his big teal eyes gazed up at the nameless prince, wishing he could help him somehow. "There is no law that states I must, so why should I?"

The old man gave a huff and then spoke in an annoyed tone, but not to the prince. "You encourage him on this, don't you Heero?"

"Hn," was all the response the fierce eyed warrior answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Trowa can do what he wants…I don't bother myself with his decisions." The man gave one last harrumph, something that made Duo do an impression of a peeved cat-fish before he looked back up at the three humans…but Quatre saw that the violet gaze fell upon the warrior as much as his own turquoise gaze fell on the prince. On Trowa…he liked the name.

"I don't know why you worry," The green-eyed prince said with a wave of his hand out towards the sea. "Maybe the right person is out there…but until then I'm not going to pretend to believe in a thing I don't believe is useful."

"How would you know then, your Highness, if you keep pushing people away?"

"It'll just hit me…like lightning."

At that word, the sky began to groan and the wind howled something terrible, and Quatre shared a look with Duo as water began to fall from the sky…that couldn't be good. A man above yelled something about a 'hurricane' and how it was coming, but neither merman knew what that was, but figured it was something bad by how everyone scrambled to do something to help. The waves began pitching violently, and Quatre found himself clinging tightly to the boat in order to keep from flying off…like Duo just had. The blonde looked over for his friend, but didn't see anything…he was more than likely fine though…merfolk did live in the sea.

The water began falling harder from the sky, winds whipping harshly, causing Quatre to lose his grip and fling back into the water. He didn't stay underneath long though…he was worried for everyone on that ship…especially the sad prince. The view of what was happening was infinitely worse from sea level, as huge waves tossed the ship back and forth…Quatre's eyes widened as he realized this is how all the other ships sank…no, no…

_Why do I care so much?_

It seemed the humans on board recognized the danger the merman did, and he saw a good number lower and clamber into a smaller boat. The old man flailed in the water until the prince, Trowa, grabbed him and hauled him up into the smaller ship…but for some reason, Quatre saw the prince ad his dark-haired companion look back towards the doomed ship and leap out from the smaller boat. Quatre heard a keen mewing sound coming from the ship's surface…the friendly animal that had befriended the blonde was trapped on the ship…it looked like the prince was determined to see it to safety as well. He lost sight of both humans for a good while when they climbed onto the ship, and even though he didn't understand what the hot, bright, and orange lights were that the ships had become engulfed in, he just knew that they weren't a good thing.

The dark haired human jumped back off the ship, the little animal in tow…but Quatre felt his breath speed up when he didn't see the prince follow…where was he? The dark haired human, Heero they called him, looked to be asking that same question…and he began yelling for Trowa to get off the ship…why did he sound so urgent…?

And then the ship exploded in a cloud of black and red, sending the debris flying all over, and making Quatre duck under water to avoid being hit…that didn't make the look of dread across his face disappear though. He resurfaced and swam frantically towards the wreckage…hoping to find anything, anything that confirmed the sad prince wasn't dead. He saw the statue, still in tact remarkably enough, sink beneath the surface, and then Quatre's eyes fell on an unconscious man with a large cut across the side of his head…his verdant eyes closed, but not dead. He slipped into the water, and Quatre dove down after him, hooking his hands under the taller man's armpits and hauling him back to the surface, careful to keep his head above the water.

He looked for the ship…but it seemed that they could not withstand the storm anymore, and had already began a trek back towards the land. Quatre looked towards his insensible charge, eyes roaming over the now relaxed face before he narrowed his eyes and began to swim to shore…he would not let this human die. It was hard, Quatre realized, swimming on the surface while dragging a larger human, but he didn't stop; he kept on swimming as the storm abated in the sky and then as the sun began to rise in the East, bathing the blue water in light.

Quatre saw the sandy shores of the nearby human kingdom, the large seaside castle he often would stare at and wonder what happened inside, and he dragged the still passed out man onto the shore…it was especially hard when his fins had to push against the sand to get them both out. He succeeded though, and the blonde collapsed beside the prince after he had the man completely out of the water, breathing hard and uneven for a moment before he calmed his weary body down. The blonde prince propped himself up onto his side and leaned over the prince…he was so beautiful. He didn't know what a picture he painted, leaning over the unconscious man like he was, a and playing with the damp auburn locks while his tail and fins curled up beneath him, a smile on his face that was full of a particular kind of emotion.

Duo and Wufei, who had searched all over for their prince and had finally followed a faint wake that was headed for shore, did not miss the scene however…and while it made them happy, it also troubled them. Duo pulled himself out of the water to lie on the other side of the human prince, his gaze flitting between the human and Quatre's glittering teal eyes. "Is he dead?" Duo asked with dread as he reached out and hefted up a foot…he didn't know the first thing about human anatomy.

"No…look, he's breathing!" Quatre whispered back in an excited tone, fingers dancing through the hair once more. "He's so beautiful…"

Quatre smiled and sang to the prince as the sun rose fully in the sky, a song in a seemingly harsh tongue, his clear voice bringing the song to life as the prince began to stir at the song's prompting. Quatre's mother used to sing this to him when he was a child, it was one of the only memories the ocean prince had of his mother and he hoped its song would help the hurt human prince now. He cupped the side of the man's face, smiling even brighter as the green eyes began to blink open…a small smile flitting across the face as the unfocused eyes looked up into Quatre's face.

"You bakas!" Wufei hissed from the water, breaking both Quatre and Duo from their respective thoughts as the two looked up to face the dark-haired merman and the anxious look on his face. "Get away from there, humans are coming! We've lingered here to long already!"

He dove back into the water, Duo following suit after he dragged his way back to the water. Quatre looked back at the prince, whose hand had curled around his own, and smiled softly before he pulled away and crawled back into the water. By the time the prince awoke enough to be alert, eyes darting back and forth for the mysterious boy who had saved him, and then sang to him with such…such love, the only evidence of a merman's presence was the faint splash in deeper waters as Quatre dove under the water fully.

The blonde merman waited for a moment before he swam back to the surface, hiding himself behind a large rock positioned out of the water and watched the older man and dark-haired warrior rush and help carry Trowa back towards his castle. The prince sent a last searching glance back along the beach and the ocean before he went along with his helpers…that bemused smile was still on his face and Quatre smiled back at him, even though it couldn't be seen.

"We will NOT tell anyone of this," Wufei grumbled from behind him, his usually gruff voice filled with slight apprehension and dread. "Especially the King. And, I will stay in one piece."

"No problem Wuffers," Duo answered with a wan smile that really wasn't reflective of his serious mood. He knew their lives had just become tremendously complicated…the prince of the ocean was in love with a prince of the land. "I may not lie, but I can dance around the truth effortlessly."

Quatre merely canted his head forward as he watched the humans fade from sight from his perch on the rock, still humming the Araaban lullaby under his breath. He didn't know how he would do it, but he intended to see this prince again, he would figure out a way…he trusted the feelings inside him to be true and there was no way a little thing like race could stop love.

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"Oh my!" a high pitched voice laughed as she watched the scene through a crystal ball, a cruel smile alighting her pale features. "This is almost much to easy…the prince, is in love with a human…a human prince no less! I'm sure that Rabban Winner will love that…

"Alex! Mueller!" the woman shouted and two male Ozraleans, the half humanoid, half octopus race that lived beneath the sea and hated the merfolk. "I'd like you to keep a close eye on our little prince…make sure you're there to provide a solution to his problems when he needs them…I do believe he'll be trusting enough to listen."

"Yes mistress Dorothy," both intoned respectively before swimming outside her ornate chambers. The aforementioned Dorothy smiled gently as they swam out of sight before turning her cold, pale blue eyes back on the serene looking prince, tracing his outline with a taloned finger. Yes, she could and would use this pretty little prince to gain the power she desired…the power of the Araaban Scimitar…the power of the very oceans at her command.

She was a Sea Witch after all…she could do anything with the right pawn.

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Please do me the favor and review! Here's a link to the picture that inspired me too right this tale as a Gundam Wing one. I would say I'd use it for my cover piece, but it's not mine…so it's just inspiration! Jst type it in minus the spaces: http semicolon double slash kouaoi dot fc2web dot com slash 00 dot htm


	3. Chapter 3

_**Surfacing (3?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Three: _And a Merman, Prince of all the Oceans_**

"_It'll just hit me…like lightning."_

_The storm had hit so suddenly, as if summoned, and try as they might, they couldn't fend it off. Heero scrambled off the help control the rigging, and he, Trowa, had taken over steering the ship when the captain lost his grip…but they couldn't keep taking the battering the winds and waves were giving them. He had called out for S to ready a lifeboat and to start loading the sailors into it; they stood a better chance in a smaller boat they could maneuver easier. He remembered being grateful that Cathy had decided to remain behind in Bartona rather than ride on a rowdy birthday ship…at least she was safe in the large, seaside manor. And then…the lightning had hit the main sail, causing it to erupt in flames…he narrowed his green eyes and helped load sailors into the lifeboat while calling out for Heero to weigh anchor._

_They had definitely all gotten off the boat, some falling off as the ship was jerked to a shuddering halt, but all were able to get pulled into the smaller boat, Trowa yanking in S, his majordomo while his arms master and friend, Heero, barked out orders to head for land…at least the storm was not as violent as before…the waves had calmed down somewhat. But, the keen mewling of Ares, his seventeenth birthday gift from Cathy the year before that took the form of a young lion…not yet out of childhood, called put to him, jolting his attention back to the ship. He exchanged a glance with Heero, and without a word, as most things were with them, leapt into the ocean and swam back towards the burning vessel._

_Heero had waited while Trowa climbed up the burning rigging with a grace only an acrobat could possess, and caught the somewhat little, wild cat in his arms when the prince had tossed him down to the dark-haired warrior. He had rushed off the ship, and Trowa jumped down, intent on following…but his foot went through a weak piece of the deck and he was stuck in place…with the fire growing closer to the left over fireworks and gunpowder on board. His eyes widened with worry and slight fear…he didn't want to die at sea like this, and he tried to yank out his foot, keenly hearing the yells Heero was sending at him to hurry up. _

_He had gotten free…but not soon enough before the ship exploded in a great cloud of black smoke, tossing the auburn haired prince from the ship as if he were a rag doll, or just debris himself. He had somehow managed to not get burned by the blast, but as he landed in the still angry waters, his head struck a piece of wooden debris, hard, and black engulfed his vision as he began to sink under the ocean surface._

…

…

…

_Arms wrapped around him though, pulling him back up and into the night air, and a warm breath, heavy with exertion, was blowing across his damp neck and ear…an unknown rescuer already bewitching the prince with a simple act. He hadn't been able to open his eyes, he was so tried, but he could feel faintly what was happening…and then before he knew it, there was warm sand beneath him, and the first rays of early morning were streaking across his face._

_He was still so tired, and he heard voices…three of them, but didn't recognize the accent…foreign attackers mayhap? But no… a warm hand, bringing the same feelings he had felt while wrapped in his rescuer's embrace, brushed across his face and played with his hair…and hen he heard something. The prince had only heard a few people sing in his lifetime, his sister included as well as his late mother, but when this unknown's voice filled the air, soft and clear as a summer's day, he felt something stir inside that he thought had been dead for eight years. The words were unknown, almost harsh in a way, but the voice was so pure and filled with this heartfelt adoration, it didn't matter what the words were._

_The other voices spoke up as he began to flutter his eyes open…he had to see who had that voice and made him feel truly alive once more. His hand wrapped around another, smaller than his own, but not by much, and he could see a blurry image before him…a boy with beautiful blue eyes smiling down at him gently before pulling his hand away and disappearing. He tried to call out, but a faint splashing sound must have drowned him out, because no one was around when he fully opened his eyes and sat up, looking wildly for the mystery youth. _

_S and Heero, along with his sister and household healers, came and found him then, praising their thanks (well, except for Heero who merely smirked) that he was well, and began helping him up from his sitting position on the beach. He told them of how a boy had rescued him, a boy with the most beautiful voice and eyes the color of the evry ocean, but they said they hadn't seen any boy on the beach when the found him…that he swallowed a bit too much seawater and was probably hallucinating._

_But…that hand was really…and so were those eyes too…and he would find the boy if it killed him…he had to know what that feeling was like some more, that feeling of love within himself that he thought he would never be able to feel for another again…_

…

…

…

"Daydreaming again, little brother?" a cheerful soft tenor asked with a small chuckle, breaking the green–eyed prince out of his reverie. The prince looked over at the beautiful red-head who was smiling at him, feeling a small smile return in kind for his sister…he only smiled for her nowadays. Well, her and the boy from his dreams who he knew existed.

"Remembering," Trowa corrected her as he pushed himself off the sand and looked back over the vast ocean. "I was remembering the shipwreck nearly two fortnights past…he was real, Cathy, I know he was."

"Oh Trowa," his sister replied as she walked up beside her lovesick brother and clasped his large hand with her much smaller one and fixed her big baby-blue eyes on him. She had been praying for someone to break through her brother's cold exterior, someone who could help him feel again, but now it seemed like that person had just disappeared…she hated to see her brother hurting. "I believe you…I really don't think you could feel so strongly for a hallucination…but where did this boy go? We've searched the entire kingdom and some nearby…having a beautiful voice and blue eyes does not help us narrow down our suspects much."

"Teal," Trowa corrected in an offhand way, his eyes still faraway and gazing out over the sea. "They were more like teal, a mixture of blue and green. I wish I could have seen what he looked like more…or even his damn hair color, but the sun was too bright."

"We may still find him, Trowa," Cathy said with confidence, hoping her belief would come true. "And S can just stuff it until then…don't you dare feel as if you have to marry, little brother!"

"Don't worry, I won't," Trowa responded with a minuscule smile…but to Cathy it was one of the most beautiful sights she had seen…if anything else, she would help find the boy who made her brother smile like that. "Not until I find him…and then I will."

Cathy nodded her head as she gave her tall brother one last hug and left, admonishing him to not stay out to late or else she'd sick Heero out on him. Trowa watched her leave the sandy beach that surrounded half of his manor before directing his gaze back to the ocean. He pulled out a metal, ornately made flute and brought it to his lips…he played the tune he heard the boy sing to him, trying with all his might to bring that boy back to where he had first met him. He continued on until the sun reached its nadir in the sky before heading back in…he'd try again tomorrow to call for the mystery youth.

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"All right, Quatre," asked an amused looking mermaid with honey colored hair and light blue eyes and matching fins. "Who is it?"

"Iria…" Quatre asked in a confused voice, cocking his head to the side and focusing his teal eyes on one of his older sisters curiously. "What are you talking about…who's who?"

"Who's got you smiling all the time and singing to yourself under your breath?" Iria asked her baby brother with a laugh as she wrapped her arms around the startled merman and led him to a secluded sea garden bench where they couldn't be overheard…she was pretty sure her brother was keeping his love life a secret for a reason, she just wanted to know why. "Father and some of our sisters may be blind, but Shaara, Maya, and I are not! You're in love…so head over fins for someone it's completely adorable to watch."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Quatre stammered as he averted his eyes from his probing sister's gaze. Great, he couldn't even lie properly now.

Nearly four weeks past, measuring against the tide and moon of course, Quatre had rescued for the prince Trowa of a land kingdom…and succeeded in falling in love with the green-eyed human as the days passed by. He hadn't told anyone what happened, and neither had Duo or Wufei, but he had gone to the surface more frequently to watch the handsome prince as he walked the beach, playing the song he had sang to him on an unknown metal instrument. The nameless feeling he had felt grew as he kept watching the human…and now he could recognize it…he was in love with a human.

Duo knew, as he had been the first one the blonde merman had told, and he kept trying to explain that it was impossible to keep loving a human…they lived on land, merfolk lived in the sea. Wufei probably knew, but he didn't comment on it…he kept his end of the bargain to just completely forget the entire incident had ever happened…he was probably hoping that Quatre would grow out of it, like a phase, but the ocean prince knew that wasn't going to happen. As he looked back at the last couple of days, he supposed that he had been acting a bit strangely…he hadn't even argued with his father yesterday morning. Just smiled and offered a friendly greeting before meeting up with Duo…of course someone noticed his change in behavior.

Iria, along with the twins Shaara and Maya, were his full sisters, all coming from the same mother and Queen of the ocean…the last mermaid that Rabban Winner had fallen in love with. He had many consorts before, and that had resulted in the number of daughters he had…but Quaterine Raberba was the only mermaid that the king had married…that gave the four youngest children the most rank out of the thirty royal heirs. Most would think that the older mermaids would have been jealous of their youngest siblings, but surprisingly, none were…at least not anymore so than what was normal in such a large family. The point was that Iria, his oldest full sister, was whom knew him the best…and he guessed he owed it to her to tell her the truth. He just hoped she would take it as well as Duo and wouldn't tell his father…that would just be inviting disaster on everyone.

"Quatre, you're a horrible liar," his sister admonished him, taking his hand in one of her own and forcing him to look at her. "Just tell me what it is…or who it is that's made you so very happy."

Quatre hesitated for another moment or so, attempting to concoct a good enough excuse as to why he had been acting so, so over the moon, but one more look into his sister's blue eyes and he felt his resolve crack. He spilled the entire story out, from his argument with their father to Wufei discovering his and Duo's secret collection of human goods, to watching the party on the ship, and finally to rescuing the prince from drowning. He closed his eyes and shrank back from her, waiting for the verbal rebuke to come and a good slap upside the head as well, but neither ever did. It was only when he felt two arms wrap around him did the blonde prince dare to open his eyes and stare at his sister's head in a mixture of doubt and surprise that didn't disappear when her eyes focused back on his.

"Oh Quat," she whispered in a teary voice as she ran a hand through his soft locks. "I'm not angry with you for falling for a human…you truly are in love with him, I'm sure of it. I'm just worried about you because it's impossible for any relationship to happen between the two of you. I mean, you kind of live in different worlds."

"I know…" Quatre said with a sad sigh, shrugging his shoulders in what he hoped was an indifferent way. "But I, I can't help how I feel…and Father would never understand this…promise me you won't tell him, Iria! He'd flip if he found out…he thinks that all humans are these monsters and--"

"Quatre!" the blonde mermaid responded with a grin as she ruffled her little brother's hair some more before giving him a quick embrace. "I won't tell! Your secret is safe with me…but you should tell him that you saved a human…it'll just be worse if he finds out on his own."

He gave his sister a quick smile and kiss on the cheek before swimming off, calling out behind him that he'd think about…and to get Shaara and Maya to leave him and Duo alone. He heard her laughter in the background fade away as he twisted and turned to make his way out of the palace unseen…Duo had been positively smug at breakfast this morning about a surprise for him, and the merman prince was determined to find out why. It didn't take him long to reach their secret cave and he was greeted with the braided merman outside the hidden entrance, that same knowing smile playing on his face.

"All right, Duo," Quatre said with a mock serious look on his face as his teal eyes grinned at his violet eyed companion. "What's this all about?"

"Come in and see," the purple finned merman said with a grin as he darted inside, leaving Quatre to follow. It wasn't until Quatre was fully inside that he saw what Duo had been acting so cocky about…his breath left his body for a moment as the unscathed statue of the prince Trowa stood tall and proud in the center of their collection room. He shot Duo a funny glance, with only a vague response of, "Dolphins are very friendly creatures if you ask them politely for help," before a wide grin spilt his face and he let out a joyous laugh. He swam towards the statue and touched the face shooting another grin at his laughing friend.

"Have I mentioned that you're the greatest merman in the entire kingdom of Araaba?" Quatre asked as he hugged the statue from behind, resting his chin in the crook of its neck.

"Well, obviously," Duo responded with a devilish smirk as he seated himself on the sand and grinned up at his blonde companion. "But I could always hear it again…"

Quatre swam down and hugged the braided boy tightly in thanks, swimming back up to talk nonsense talk to the inanimate statue. He knew he should be heeding his sister's advice, trying to put the prince from his mind because of the impossibility of romance between them, but he just couldn't seem to do it. It was strange how quickly someone ingrained himself into the blonde's life, unknowingly and entirely spontaneous, but it happened and Quatre didn't want the feeling to go away. Whether he admitted it or not, Quatre knew that Duo understood better than most…he had been similarly stricken with the cold looking warrior and the blonde knew his friend had feelings already forming…probably not as strong as his own, but feelings nonetheless.

"Do you think it's safe to keep this here?" Duo asked out loud after letting the prince act childish for a few minutes, a small frown forming in between his violet eyes. "I mean, what if your father found out about it?"

"He won't," Quatre responded with a smile as he rested his head against the cold, smooth contours of the statue's back…he wished he could feel skin there instead of stone. "I won't tell him, and I know you won't either. And Wufei…well, he's too worried about letting my father know that I went up to the surface and rescued a human on his watch to mention anything. If no one tells him, he won't find out…he's to busy with other things to notice if we're acting strange or not…"

Duo could sense the sadness in his friend's voice, but didn't comment on it, he knew how much the prince craved his father's attention and approval. Hell, that was half the reason Quatre began going to the surface and collecting human artifacts in the first place…it just morphed into the interest it was now after awhile. The braided merman sighed and lay back against the cool sand, fixing his eyes up to the top of their cavern and what lay beyond. "I guess that's right…it'll be safer here than anywhere else."

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_Just keep walking Wufei…it's been close to four weeks since that shipwreck and storm, and even though the prince is acting completely obvious about his moronic feelings toward the human, the sea King doesn't seem to notice. Just keep calm and don't worry about something that there isn't any cause to worry over._

Chang Wufei had been repeating that mantra to himself the entire day, ever since he caught King Rabban giving him an odd look that morning at breakfast….right after that baka for a prince swam in, humming under his breath and acting downright cheery as compared to his usual withdrawn self. Contrary to popular belief, the prince only acted out of hand when around Duo, himself, or one of his full blooded sisters…the rest of the time he scowled at his father a lot. Sally had commented a few times that he looked feverish the rest of breakfast, and when Iria pulled her brother aside, and the twins swam up and started talking with the king, he felt as if he was about to burst.

He wasn't a damn secret keeper for Allah's sake! He was a court mage and music composer…it was an injustice that he was going to be blamed for the entire event that night the storm hit. The black finned merman took a deep breath and went back to concentrating on his spell powder, good, just focus on something you know and everything will just go away as if nothing ever happened. Just keep imagining that the prince didn't develop some foolhardy attraction to the human prince…just keep pretending that you're not hiding one damn thing worth any consequ—

"Lord Chang?" a voice interrupted, causing the dark eyed merman to look up from his concoction and focus his piercing gaze on a small, nervous looking merman. "His Majesty, King Rabban, request your presence in the Throne room…he said it was urgent."

Wufei didn't trust his voice to work properly, so he settled for giving the merman a curt nod and turning back to bottle up his spelled rocks. He took a deep breath to try and steady his shaking hand, cursing himself silently for being such a weakling, and finished putting his spelled rocks away, swimming out and towards the Throne room. It was probably just a routine check to see that his son was keeping out of trouble…nothing more. Wufei wished he could believe his own lie.

He swam into a massive chamber where the king sat upon a curved throne in the center, idly playing with a sea flower with a strange smile on his face. "You wanted to see me, your Majesty?" Wufei asked with a respectful bow to his ruler before straightening and putting on his best bravado face.

"Ah, yes Wufei…I was just meaning to ask you a few questions," the king said with that strange smile still in place…it didn't look dangerous to Wufei though. It looked…it looked ecstatic and warm, but not towards him. "It's about Quatre…have you noticed him acting differently lately?"

"Uh…different, sir?" Wufei answered as he looked away nervously…he wasn't going to be able to do this, he wasn't going to be able to do this.

"Singing to himself," the king continued with a knowing look on his face as he stared at his court mage. He was determined to find out who Quatre was so in love with…his twins were never wrong about this sort of thing, and he was so happy that his only son had finally found someone…a good merman or mermaid to distract him from acting out all the time. He knew Wufei would know…he'd been tailing the boy and his companion for the better part of four weeks…he had to know! "Daydreaming…acting polite and civilized towards me for a change?"

"Uh…I don't know…he's probably just…" Great, now he was fumbling over his words…this could not get any better.

"Acting, well, in love?" Rabban asked as he leaned forwards in his chair and watched his usually so stoic mage twitch in nervousness…he was going to tell him!

"I-I-I tried to stop him, your Majesty," Wufei blurted out, surprising himself…he didn't know he was capable of blurting anything, much less words. "I tried to keep him from heading off towards the surface, and away from that cursed ship, but he just wouldn't listen! I told him that humans, and all that human rubbish he had was just asking for trouble but he---"

"Humans!" Rabban all but yelled as he pushed off from his chair and swam up into his young mage's face, anger twisting the happiness off his face. "WHAT ABOUT HUMANS!"

Wufei stared at he king for a brief moment, recognizing that he had made a seriously horrible blunder, before he spoke on…dear Allah, Quatre was going to truly hate him now. He had condemned all three of them…

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"If you keep talking to that statue like it's alive, Quat," Duo called out to the fantasizing blonde prince, a smile plastered on his face as he rolled over and looked up at the silly scene. "I'm afraid I'll have to tell your family that you've lost your mind…again."

"When did I lose it the first time?" Quatre asked with a playful glare, happiness dancing in his teal eyes and echoing in his whole slender frame.

"When you decided to fall for a human," Duo replied with a grin as the prince canted his head forward in consent. He pushed himself up and began swimming towards the entrance to the cave to see how late it was when he stopped dead in his wake, shock and fear rolling through him as he stared up at a wrathful looking sea king and am ashamed looking Wufei. Duo let out a gasp as he was pushed put of the way, a gasp that caused the prince to look up and notice that his father was staring at the filled cavern with a look of betrayal and disgust.

"Father…"

"I consider myself a reasonable merman," Rabban said slowly, fixing his irate gaze on his wide-eyed son, his son who happened to be hiding partially behind a large statue of a human male. "But I have my limits…and you've just crossed them, Quatre. I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be followed and obeyed."

"Father--"

"Is it true that you rescued a human from drowning?" the king hissed out angrily as he narrowed his eyes at his son.

"I wasn't going to just let him die," Quatre retorted, his teal eyes narrowing as he glared back at his after…he wasn't going to be ridiculed for saving someone's life. Besides, he knew he would have died a little himself if he let Trowa die…

"How could you do such a thing?" Rabban yelled, making the walls echo with the rage in his voice. "Do you realize what could have happened to you if one of his savage cohorts caught sight of you?"

"He would have _died_, Father!"

"One less human to worry about then!"

"You don't even know him!" Quatre yelled back, uncaring how dangerous his father's temper levels were rising now…his father was wrong!

"I don't need to know him," Rabban responded with a growl to his tone. "They're all the same! Barbaric, vicious, harpooning fish eaters who are better off dead and are never to be trusted---"

"Father, I love him!" Quatre yelled out in his anger, clapping a hand over his mouth as soon as the words had left and ducking behind the statue to escape the shock and horror that filled his father's brown eyes.

"Have you lost your mind, Quatre?" his father's voice asked him, softer than before, but no less dangerous or any kinder. "He's a human, you're a merman!"

"I don't care," Quatre answered as he shut his eyes to prevent the tears of anger, frustration and hurt from falling…he knew his father wouldn't be able to accept his feelings. He'd only see them as some horrible flaw in his heir.

"By Allah, Quatre, I'm going to get through to you," Rabban said in that same soft tone, reaching to his side and pulling out a huge scimitar from its scabbard, willing it to hum to life with bluish-silver energy. His expression turned dark as he raised the sword in front of him, his tone taking on a cruel and morbid hiss. "And if this is the only way to do that…then so be it."

Wufei and Duo watched in horror as the king began to destroy everything in the cavern with the powerful scimitar, and Wufei grabbed Duo around the waist to keep him from trying to stop the king…just like a horrified and hurt Quatre was trying to do. The could both hear the pleas coming from the distraught prince as he whirled around and found his collection, something he wanted to show all off the merfolk in Araaba, destroyed before his very eyes. It was the heart wrenching plea, the one that reverted back into the ancient tongue, as Rabban pointed his scimitar at the statue of the handsome prince and sent a blue blast that shattered it completely.

"Laa Abu!"

Quatre sank down to the ground and stared at the wreckage, sitting among it and refusing to look, or break, at his father as he heard the fins turn away. He missed the sorrowful expression that replaced the rage on his father's countenance, a look that Wufei and Duo glimpsed as the sea king swam out of the cavern, and buried his face in his arms after he knew he was gone, not caring if Duo or Wufei saw him broken and lost. He felt Duo swim up beside him and heard Wufei begin to utter some sort of apology, but he didn't care…

"Just go away…" he whispered a broken tone, curling his tail and fins around his lithe body in a defensive way, just wanting to be left alone. He got his wish as he heard Duo lead Wufei out, whispering some sort of encouragement to the guilty mage, and just cried all the harder at the damage done. He didn't hear the two foreign entities swim in to the cavern from an opening at the top, and wouldn't have heard them unless they both hadn't spoke up in matching oily voices in time with each other.

"Why does the poor merman cry so?"

Quatre's head snapped up and his red-rimmed teal eyes were met with two male Ozraleans, their eight tentacles and slightly bloated humanoid torsos giving them away along with their glowing eyes. One had shaggy blonde hair, and glowing green eyes and was much broader than his brunette, brown-eyed companion, both were leering at him with a mixture of attraction and amusement...it made Quatre's stomach churn. He backed away from them until his back it the wall of the cavern, sad eyes wary for an attack should these two prove to be hostile.

"Who-who are you?"

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"Laa Abu!" means "Papa no!" in Arabic.

It's almost to my favorite part! Please review and feed my starving muses! They love the feedback, and it's greatly appreciated! More to come soon!

Osco


	4. Chapter 4

_**Surfacing (4?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Four: _Who loved the Sad Prince with All his Heart_**

"Who-who are you?" Quatre asked as he eyed the two Ozraleans warily…and how did they happen to show up just when he was feeling his worst and undeniably most rebellious.

The two tentacled beings smiled at each other before turning their attention back to the blonde merman, swimming closer to him and smiling wider at the prince's instinctive reaction of curling back into the rock further. The brunette swam behind the rock and the blonde stayed in front, effectively trapping Quatre in his spot for a time being. The burly blonde Ozralean gave a short bow to the merman prince and smiled in a less than nice way before introducing his companion and himself. "Why, I'm Alex…and that's Mueller." The brown haired being gave a short wave and bow when Quatre turned his teal gaze towards the brunette before going back to his inspection of the ruined artifacts in the cavern.

"Why are you here? Your kind hates the merfolk…" Quatre trailed off as both Ozraleans swam back in front of him and grinned at his surprised expression…he didn't like how close they both were getting.

"Why, we've come to offer you some help, little prince," the brunette, Mueller, said with a dejected look on his face before motioning towards his companion. "We were both sent by someone who wishes to help you, someone who understands how you feel and wants to grant you a gift."

"Someone with great power and even greater compassion," Alex continued as he and Mueller began to circle around the crouched prince, their tentacles sometimes drifting across his flesh and making him flinch and grimace. "For as all know, Miss Dorothy is one of the most powerful beings in all the oceans."

"The-the Sea Witch?" Quatre asked as a look of denial covered his face, shaking his head back and forth at the wrongness of the whole idea. He knew the stories about that Ozralean female, about how her power was only eclipsed by that of the ruler of the merfolk, in this case his own father, and how she was a cruel mistress who reveled in the pain of others. She had caused his father endless headaches in the past…and someone not to be trifled with. "You want me to go to her for help? That's…that's crazy! I would never do something like that! Just…just leave me alone!" He tossed a handful of loose sand at the two Ozraleans and buried his hands back in his arms on top of the rock. He had wanted help, desperately so, and this mockery of it just seemed to make the recent hurt of his father's lack of understanding that more real.

"Fine with us, little prince. We just thought you might like to be with your dear human prince."

"It was only a suggestion…it is your decision after all."

He heard the two octopus-like beings begin to swim away slowly, but he felt something hard and solid hit his teal fins gently and he looked up to find half of the prince Trowa's face from the statue staring up at him. Quatre reached out and traced the outline of the strong jaw and eyes with a shaking hand, his own heart conflicted as two opposite thoughts raged in his head. He would never forgive himself for betraying his father in such a way, for accepting help from the Sea Witch, but…but the burning feelings inside him couldn't be ignored either.

No…no he couldn't be thinking this….it would break his family's heart if he did this. But…his father had already broken his heart…and he knew he couldn't stop himself from loving the human prince as much as he did. His fingers curled around the small piece of statue and brought it close to his face, and then to his heart…Allah, forgive him for what he was about to do.

"Wait," Quatre called out with pain-filled teal eyes, his conflict playing out and making his eyes darken as he looked up at the still retreating forms.

"Yes?" the two Ozraleans answered in synch with each other as they whirled about to face the now floating merman prince.

"She can help me…how?"

The burly blonde tugged Quatre by the arm with one of his eight tentacles in a motion for him to follow them as they smiled at him in a strange way and began to swim out from the cavern. It seemed like he wasn't going to get an answer from these two but…but he had to know if there was a way for him to be with Trowa, if even just for a little while. He had to know…he could damn himself later. Quatre dropped the piece of the statue's face to the floor, not minding the clatter that resounded through the now empty cavern as it joined the rubble on the floor, and tugged his arm out of tentacle's grasp, glaring at the two to try again to force him to move. He swam behind them with a cold mask in place over his face; a face that didn't betray the feelings of foreboding he felt coursing through him.

The three swam out of the cavern from a way that Quatre hadn't even known existed, the two Ozraleans swimming in front of him as he followed closely behind, teal eyes closed and his face slightly raised in defiance…he just wished he knew what he was in defiance of. He kept his ears trained so he could hear the change in current if his two guides switch a direction on him, but it kept him from seeing two angry and shocked looking mermen swim up to him until they were right in front of him. His teal eyes locked with the violet ones of his best friend, and he could see Wufei floating just a little bit behind Duo, his black eyes narrowed in revulsion as he glared at the two amused looking octopuses.

"Quatre, what the hell are you doing?" Duo asked as he gestured wildly with his hands, his braid whipping behind him like the furry creature's tail would…the one he had seen on the prince's ship that night of the storm. "I mean, I know you're upset and all, I am too, but you just can't--"

"What are you doing with Ozraleans, your Highness?" Wufei asked in a demanding way as he continued to glare at the two tentacled beings.

"I'm going to see Dorothy," Quatre answered coldly as he began to swim again, moving past his two friends swiftly as his guides began to move as well.

"WHAT!" both mermen shouted in shock as they watched the blonde prince swim away as if he had said he was going somewhere as safe as the coral reefs. Duo reached out and grabbed his best friend's arm while Wufei swam out in front again and fixed the prince with a stern look before speaking. "The Sea Witch isn't someone who's going to help you, Quatre! I can't believe you're actually thinking of entertaining this idea…after everything you know about this race and how treacherous they are…"

"Just like humans, right?" Quatre shot back angrily as he yanked his arm out of Duo's grasp and pushed past Wufei, eyes burning with passion and conviction. "Well, you know what, I don't care. Just like I don't care that I'm in love with a human! So, if it bothers you both so much, why don't you go and tell my father how disobedient his son is being now." He didn't wait to hear anything else as he hurtled after the still swimming Ozraleans, leaving the other two mermen floating in shock and hurt at the words spouted from the prince's mouth. Hurt because of their harshness, but also because of their truth.

Both were only able to stare as the teal fins and tail of their friend faded from sight, following after those two Ozraleans without a worry in the world towards someone who everyone in the ocean knew to be evil. Duo turned and locked eyes with Wufei before starting to swim after them, kicking his violet fins quickly in order to not lose sight of the wake left behind.

"Are you really serious, Duo?" Wufei asked as he too began to follow the violet-eyed merman after their blonde and heart broken prince, a scowl o his face that was both directed towards the situation and himself.

"We don't have enough time to find the king, Wuffers," Duo responded, ignoring the scowl that was now directed at him completely. "The best thing we can do is juts follow them and try to help Quat if he needs it…I don't like the idea of leaving him alone with the Sea Witch anymore than you do."

"I suppose you're right," the dark-eyed merman replied after a moment of silence, almost more to himself than to his companion. "Who knows what will happen with Quatre's mind in the state that it is."

"Yep, an angry Quatre is a rebellious and dangerous Quatre," Duo said lightly, his tone negating the seriousness of his statement. They both just hoped Quatre wouldn't do anything too rebellious.

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The way into the Ozralean lands was not a pleasant one for Quatre for a couple of different reasons. One was the Allah awful guilt that was eating him up inside for both betraying is father the way he was, and also how he had treated his two closest friends when they tried to dissuade him from his course. Maybe he had some reason to be angry with Wufei for ratting him out to his father, but he hadn't done that intentionally…and Duo hadn't done anything. Another were the strange and sickening smiles he felt sent his way by his guides, and then by other Ozraleans has he swam deeper out of his homeland and his father's territory and deeper into that of Oz…and then there was the voice of his father n his head that was practically screaming "I told you so!" the further he swam.

Quatre took a deep breath and closed his teal eyes for a moment as he attempted to collect his bearings and get his raging emotions under control. He was starting to have second thoughts about what he was doing…was he really this angry at his father to contemplate doing what he was doing? His father had been cruel earlier to be sure but…but did that act warrant another one just as cruel and deceitful? His mind had almost convinced itself out of his mission when he felt himself bump into two frozen figures and his eyes snapped open in surprise…and then scowled at Alex and Mueller at their sudden stop.

"Why did we stop?" he asked in an imperious voice he usually adopted when he was unsure of the other's intentions…his eyes not leaving the two young Ozraleans as they just smiled some more.

"Because, we're here, merman prince," Alex said as he circled to one side of the blonde merman, is tentacles brushing against Quatre's back and causing him to shudder slightly.

"And Miss Dorothy is inside, waiting for you," Mueller finished, giving the prince a little push towards the huge complex that Quatre now saw before him. It was all gilded in gold, with many precious gems glittering from the panels and sides, and it wasn't at all like his own home…jagged spires and cruel looking statues in places of the welcoming atmosphere his father's castle provided. He cast one last nervous glance behind him before he swam cautiously forward into the small opening, something that looked akin to the jaw of a giant sea beast, and swam through the dark passageway. When a little light began to filter through, he could see the floor writhing and moving with a mass of distorted and ugly sea creatures that resembled worms, all staring up at him with sad and desperate eyes…he backed himself into the ceiling as some attempted to dart put and grab hold of him.

"It isn't kind to linger in doorways, little prince," a smooth and high pitched voice intoned from a little bit ahead, shocking the blonde out of his revulsion of the sad creatures. "Why, I'd even venture and say it's downright rude."

Quatre swam through a curtain of red moss to enter a spacious cavern, also coated in gold and jewels in every nook and cranny, and stopped abruptly as he was met face to face with the infamous Sea Witch. He had always pictured her ugly and hideous whenever he heard his father or sisters talk about her, and was surprised to find that assumption very far from the truth. She had long, flowing blonde hair, even paler than his, and piercing light blue eyes on a pleasing face…despite the extravagantly forked eyebrows above them. Her form was slender but powerful, and her tentacles were so black it looked to be pure ink…nope; she wasn't at all what he imagined she'd be. She smirked at him with ruby red lips and motioned him further inside, the blonde merman catching a glimpse of her taloned fingers before she drew them back.

"Well…aren't you a pretty thing?" the Sea Witch asked in a slightly mocking tone as she sat down gracefully on a raised divan, her eyebrow raising considerably as she appraised him through her mirror as she applied even more coral to her red lips. "I understand that you've got yourself in a bit of a predicament…and need the sort of aid that only I can provide."

"I-I don't know if--" Quatre began as he shook his head, but only to be cut off by that piercing gaze as the Ozralean female swiveled about and looked at him directly.

"If it wasn't, darling, why would you be here?" Dorothy asked in that sweet and coddling tone as she raised herself and swam over to a cabinet, opening it and rummaging through it without regard to her guest…and she questioned his manners. The blonde emerged with a few vials of glowing substances, all which she threw haphazardly in to a large clam shell that served as a cauldron. Quatre through and arm up over his face as the room exploded into a burst of color for a moment, and then shot a questioning glance over at the Sea Witch.

"Now, my dear little prince," Dorothy continued on, as if she hadn't expected an answer from her enquiry, measuring a small drop of a bluish liquid into the cauldron. "You have quite a problem on your hands…and it's one that you can't solve the way you are. You love a human prince, though I must say you have excellent taste, but that causes a problem, doesn't it? The way I see it, the only way to get what you want, is to become human yourself."

Quatre fixed his shining blue eyes on the enchantress in both shock and hope at her ending statement, feeling all of his doubts and reservations flowing out of him at what the Sea Witch offered. He could actually become human…he would be able to walk, run, skip, jump, and dance…everything he and Duo had always dreamed of doing but never thought they could. "You can…you can actually do that? You'd make me human?"

"Why, darling," Dorothy replied as she whirled around and smiled in that mysterious way at him. "Of course I can. And I will, but before you agree, you have to listen to the proposal…it wouldn't be wise to just dive into an offer without learning about the stipulations attached to it."

"All right…what are they?"

"I'll make you a potion that will turn you into a human for ten days," Dorothy answered as she hooked a tentacle and arm around Quatre's waist and shoulders respectively and guided him over towards her bubbling cauldron. "And in those ten days, you've got to get your dear prince to return your feelings, meaning he's got to fall in love with you. And, the spell will need proof that he does in fact love you…so he's got to kiss you. Now, this is important, dear, so pay attention: if you get him to kiss you before the sun sets on the tenth day, you remain a human…permanently. But, if he doesn't, then you turn back into a merman and…well, you belong to me and my people."

Before Quatre could answer a yay or nay, he heard a struggle from behind and turned to see both Duo and Wufei struggling against the two Ozralean guides, Alex and Mueller. Funny, he hadn't even heard either of them swim in…or follow him here. "Quatre!" Duo yelled before being restrained against the wall beside Wufei by invisible bindings, his violet eyes wide and full of anger. "You can't seriously be thinking of doing this! You can't tru--" but before he could finish his sentiment, a tentacle slapped over his mouth. Quatre felt himself tugged back around to face Dorothy, who was still smiling at him benignly and gesturing to a glittering scroll and an equally attractive quill floating in the water.

"So…what do you say Prince Quatre? You'll never get another chance like this…are the bounds of your love great enough for this human to take the risk?"

"If-if I do this," Quatre asked as he stared at the scroll and quill, trying to ignore the feeling of foreboding still growing within him. "Then I'll never see my father or sisters again, will I?"

"I suppose you're right," Dorothy answered as she gave him a mock sympathetic look that a child could see through. "But then, you'll be with the one you love! I guess life's just filled with difficult choices, isn't it?" When Quatre didn't answer, she slapped a hand to her forehead as if she had forgotten something and exclaimed, "Oh! But wait, we haven't discussed the touchy subject of payment!"

"But, I don't have any--" Quatre began before he felt a tentacle slap over his mouth.

"Do you think I need money?" Dorothy asked as she gestured to her abode as she lowered her tentacle. "No, what I want is much more personal but something so trivial, you'll barely miss it. What I want from you in exchange for this service…is your voice."

"My voice? But, if I can't talk, then how can I--?"

"Darling, have you looked at yourself anytime recently? You've got your pretty face and eyes, and don't forget the most important tool of human communication: body language. No, humans hardly even regard speaking as important anyway…what's idle talk for after all?"

Quatre still didn't answer as he contemplated the new stipulation…he supposed losing his voice wouldn't be the end of the world…how could he be expected to make this sort of decision in such short time?

"Well, come, come now Prince, I haven't got all day. I'm a very busy Witch after all, and there are many other merfolk and Ozraleans who could be in need of my assistance," Dorothy interjected as she inspected her talons indifferently, shooting him one side long glance before smirking at his two bound friends…who were shaking their heads no as Quatre swam towards the contract.

Quatre lifted a shaking hand to grasp the quill, but not moving it any farther towards the scroll, just staring at it with a fearful expression on his face…on one hand he wanted this so bad, but on the other, could he really just leave everything behind that he had ever known? And was losing his voice worth it as well? He didn't even know if he could convince the human prince to love him like he did…why take the risk of being enslaved if everything didn't work out? As he stared at the scroll, he imagined a pair of eyes so green that they put the greenest forests to shame and his heart's voice overrode his head.

He closed his eyes and signed the contract in one smooth motion, feeling the quill and scroll whoosh away into Dorothy's hand after he was done. She smiled at him again and began to sing in a harsh tongue, waving her arms and hands in motions until they formed great green clawed hands in the air. Quatre stared up at the hands and tried to quell the nervousness and second guessing going on in his head at the sight of them.

"Now, sing for me darling," Dorothy requested in that sweet tone, her eyes betraying the eagerness and deceit her voice did not.

Quatre hesitated for only a moment before he opened his mouth and let loose a single clear tone, only pausing to take a breath when he needed to. He saw the hands creep ever closer to him, until they were but a hair's breath away and he tried to back up, but felt his fins glued in place. It was uncomfortable when the hands descended down his throat, and then it was just strange as they crawled back out, gripping a glowing orb that was still pulsating with his voice, dragging it until it was locked into a conch shell about Dorothy's neck. His hands went to grasp his throat as the sound of his voice was muted by the shell, but he really didn't have time to contemplate the loss as a globe of blue light enveloped him, morphing him and shaking him.

He felt the absence of his fins first, leaving two smooth legs behind as the teal scales vanished, but then the loss of his compatible gills on his neck, leaving only smooth skin instead of the raised folded skin hit him like a sledgehammer as he found he couldn't breathe. And…it was interesting that his newly formed legs were that much weaker than his fins…maybe that was why so many humans drowned.

He felt two sets of arms hook under his arms and hurl him out of the cavern and then straight up, but the light-headed feeling coming from the lack of oxygen to his lungs made him to fuzzy to recognize them. The three surfaced after he felt the burning feeling turn to a numb sensation, and he took in a huge breath, silent as the breeze, before collapsing back into the water, supported by the arms of his two best friends. He could hear them muttering amongst themselves and felt his body start to move, dragged through the waves, but he couldn't respond…maybe he'd rest his eyes for just a minute.

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"Shit, shit, shit," Duo kept muttering as he made sure Quatre's head stayed out of the water, helping Wufei drag the now very HUMAN merman prince to shore where he wouldn't drown. Wufei normally would have admonished the braided merman for his language, but he didn't much feel like it now.

Mainly because he agreed with the sentiment.

He and Duo had swam after Quatre as quickly as they could when he had stormed off after the octopuses, ducking every now and then to keep from being seen…especially when they entered Oz territory. It had been a challenge, but they had managed to sneak into the huge, golden manor after the prince unseen, and had remained hidden and silent throughout her whole proposal…until it seemed like Quatre was going to agree with her. Both he and Duo had been imprisoned by the Witch's magic and were forced to watch as Quatre both had his voice stolen from him, and watched his fins and gills disappear in trade for legs…it was only then that the bindings lifted and they were both able to whisk him to the surface.

Shit indeed…the prince of the entire ocean was a damn human who couldn't speak, much less swim.

King Rabban was going to murder him…and he was a bloody pacifist. He didn't even want to think about what his sisters would do...much less Sally.

"What are we going to do?" Duo asked in a labored voice, apparently humans weighed quite a bit more when you had to haul them above the water. "I mean, he signed that stupid contract and now…the king's going to kill us Wufei! I mean, he's a…with legs and…oh shit…"

"First, we are going to get him to land," Wufei gritted out as he helped pull the prince along the waves, spotting the distant land off in the distant and internally lamenting at how much further they had, "And then, we are going to rest…then we'll figure out some sort of solution."

"Wu," Duo panted as he struggled to keep Quatre's head above a particularly big swell. "No offense, but I think the forked-eyebrow lady pretty much told us the only solution. He's got to get the human prince to pucker up, which, I mean, shouldn't be too hard; he's one of best looking mermen in Araaba, next to yours truly of course."

"Then we will think of another solution," Wufei hissed out. He tried to zone out the rest of Duo's nervous chatter as they swam…it was going to be a long swim.

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When Quatre started to feel himself start to come around, there was one solid difference than before…he felt something solid on his backside rather than something moving. He blinked his teal eyes open and looked back and forth for a moment, trying to remember where he was, and then stopped and stared at the two pale appendages sticking out of water…and lifted one of his legs and wiggled his toes with a giant smile on his face. He looked back and forth again for a moment before he spotted Wufei and Duo in the water a little further out, watching him and arguing with each other. He waved and tried to stand up…but it looked like he would some practice because he fell right back into the water after lost his balance…how did humans make it look so easy?

"Oh by Allah, look at him!" he heard Wufei exclaim, which was odd in and of itself…he had never heard the stern merman lament like that. "Okay, this is what we're going to do…we'll head back down to Araaba, find the king and get him to make the Sea Witch reverse this spell, simple."

"I'm not going to just leave him here Wufei!" Duo replied as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Quatre didn't are what else was said between the two of them, only that they were talking about switching what had happened. He shook his head and crawled a little in the water towards them, forcing his eyes to express what his voice could not, begging with wide teal eyes to not do that. He had finally gotten this chance…he didn't want to throw it all away just because of a little fear.

"Don't shake your head at me Winner!" Wufei said in an exasperated voice as he watched the blonde merman attempt to change his mind...which he was doing already. Damn it all. "Listen to sense for once, if we can get that Witch to give you back your voice, you can just come back and your father would never know. You could come back and just…"

It was the damn eyes that condemned him…kisama.

"…just be miserable for the rest of your life," he finished as he lowered his head. Well, if he was going to allow this, he was going to make sure Quatre wasn't alone in the human world. "Fine…we'll do this and try to get the prince to fall for you. But, I want one condition." Two sets of curious eyes looked at him and he allowed a small smirk Maxwell's way before speaking again. "I want Maxwell to accompany you."

"Uh…I can't exactly walk after him, Wufei," Duo answered with a small smile as his violet eyes glittered in something akin to excitement and hope. What was it with these two mermen and their fascination with being human?

"I'm aware of that, baka," Wufei snapped back as he closed his and summoned the right amount of energy and hummed the spell under his breath before shooting it in Duo's direction. The light was brief and not nearly as flashy or powerful as what had enveloped Quatre, but when it cleared, it seemed like it had the same effect as another human boy sat beside a smiling and silently laughing Quatre. "But, Dorothy is not the only spell-caster in the sea. This will last as long as you or I wish it; you only need to enter the water once a day to keep yourself feeling normal. It's not as powerful as the Sea Witch's, but it will suffice."

"Well, uh, thanks Wufei!" Duo exclaimed as he stood clumsily and tried to walk, dragging Quatre up with him. It was only after the two were able to make all the way onto the shore, stumbling quite a bit along the way, that Wufei noticed something that would need to be rectified. While merfolk had no need for clothing, humans were quite queer about it…he looked around for a minute before finding a long and tattered clothe…what it was used for, he didn't know. It would enough.

"Here," the black-eyes merman called out as he tossed the cloth to the blonde prince, who looked at it strangely. "Humans where things like that…I don't think they enjoy walking around in nothing."

"Why?" Duo asked curiously as he stood with his hands on his hips as Quatre attempted to wrap the cloth around his waist in a satisfactorily way. "Nothing wrong with being in your skin…"

"Yes, but merfolk don't expose their reproduction anatomy at all time as humans do," Wufei said as he pointed at the flesh hanging between the braided boy's wobbly legs. "Clothes would be needed…I don't have anything else here though…"

Before Wufei or Duo could say anything else, the sound of a playful growl made it to all three ears, causing Wufei to dive under the water, Duo to dive behind a rock, muttering an "ow" as he stubbed his newly formed toe in doing so, and Quatre scrambled up on a raised rock when he noticed that there were no other hiding spots left. The cloth around his waist, which he had tied shut with a spar piece of rope, nearly snagged on a jagged piece of the rock, and it distracted him from the furry form bounding up to him until he turned around and was met with two happy, golden eyes. A rough tongue licked his cheek and the furry head nuzzled him before jumping down and letting out a high pitched mewl.

Quatre cocked his eyebrow at the little creature inquisitively before he smile din remembrance…he had met this little one on the prince's ship that night! He let out another silent laugh that abruptly slid off his face as he heard another voice enter the scene…one that had enchanted him on a stormy night.

"Ares! Get back here…Cathy will have my hide if she sees I let you get dirty after you just had a bath…come on girl, come here."

A tall figure with reddish-brown hair, that spilled over his brilliant green eyes in a unusual way stepped into the blonde's view, taking his silent breath away just as he had when he first saw him. He scowled down at the cloth he was currently wearing for a moment before looking back up and locking his bright teal eyes with startled green ones.

"Oh…I see."

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Whew, that was long…hoped you all enjoyed! Thanks again to everyone who reviews! I beg you readers to take a second and please do so, I love hearing what others think of this story! More is coming, I promise…I like this one too much to ignore !

Osco


	5. Chapter 5

_**Surfacing (5?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Five: _So he Changed and Left those he Loved_**

It seemed like an eternity passed between them, as the green-eyed prince just stared in both alarm and confusion at the slim boy perched on top of a rock, a tattered remain of a sail wrapped around his waist. He was, for lack of a better term, absolutely beautiful, with golden hair than hung slightly in his face and curled under his ears and pale skin that was just sun-kissed slightly to give him a peachy hue. Trowa glanced down at Ares, the little lion cub bouncing up and down at his heels and mewling happily to her master, and then looked around for any other sign of people or shipwreck. There were none. He focused his eyes back on the boy and took a step forward, slowly so not to alarm him, but the boy just kept staring at him, as if in shock as well.

And then he broke out into a radiant smile, one that lit up his entire face, and Trowa felt his knees go a little wobbly for some unknown reason. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud in a clear, rich baritone, "Are you all right, little one?" He wasn't sure what inspired him to sue such an affectionate tone with the youth, but something about him just screamed for it…he was starting to get a very surreal feeling that he knew this youth form somewhere…

The boy nodded his head and leaned closer to the prince and softened his smile slightly to one that was full of trust and an unwavering love; now he just looked ethereal. It was then that Trowa got a better look at his features, and he felt his breath hitch as he stared into deep and rich teal eyes that mirrored the ocean itself…teal eyes that he had been looking for since his rescue at sea by a mysterious youth with a beautiful voice.

"Do I, know you?" Trowa asked with a guarded look, despite the excitement he felt growing within him. "You, seem very familiar to me."

The boy nodded with enthusiasm and smiled wider, which inspired Trowa to grasp the slender hands in his own and plow on, throwing his usual caution and calmness to the wind as he looked into those blue eyes. "I knew it! You're the boy who saved me, the one I've been looking for! What's your name?"

The boy opened his mouth to voice his name…but his lips only moved with no sound issued forth. The smile fell off the boy's face suddenly and he looked down…Trowa felt something in his stomach growl with disappointment at the motion. The boy in front of him couldn't speak…at least, that's how it appeared. "What's wrong?"

The blonde motioned to his throat, tapping it once or twice while shaking his head. "You can't speak." Trowa really didn't ask it, but the boy nodded afterwards regardless, a sad look in his eyes as he looked back up into the prince's face.

"Oh, then you couldn't be who I thought," Trowa responded as he dropped the hands, his voice dropping back to its stoic tendency as he looked back out towards the sea. He had been so close…but he still hadn't found that unknown youth, the one who had saved his life without even knowing who he was. Ares let out a low growl to her master that forced the prince to look back towards the little cub and then towards the blonde youth, who was sitting adorably now with his arms crossed over his exposed chest and a pout playing on his lips. Well, mysterious boy or no, this one still looked in dire need of some sort of help.

Those blue eyes focused back on him and he furrowed his brow before his features alit with some sort of idea. He began to pantomime something to Trowa, something that signified something important by the urgency it was done with, but Trowa really didn't see what he was doing at all. "What, are you lost?" A head shake and switch of movements to that of a wave-like motion. "You need help?" Another shake, this one down with a silent, but still annoyed sigh and a shake of the head as he began to do something else. He never got a chance to though, as he slipped off the rock, and Trowa darted forward, catching up the slim boy in his arms and saving him from a fall onto the sand.

The blonde's head raised to eye level with the bent prince, and Trowa found that he could hardly breathe as those eyes stared into his soul…how strange that he was affected so much by a simple boy. Well, simple seemed sacrilegious to call someone as attractive as the blonde. With his arms thrown around Trowa's neck to hold up his shaky legs, the green-eyed prince could feel how powerful the boy was, his slim form hiding his powerful muscles under the pale skin, muscles he could feel all to well with the boy so scantily dressed as it were. He cleared his throat and loosened the grip he had on the boy, but still not letting go entirely…the blonde's legs were still wobbling as if they hadn't been used in some time.

"You really have been through something, haven't you?" Trowa asked quietly, his eyes searching the boy for an answer that seemed to be right in front of him. "Where's your family…do you have anyone here who can help you?" A shake of the head was his answer, and then a motion towards the ocean was followed. Shipwrecked…he was a survivor and all alone in a new place without a soul in the world…it didn't take Trowa nearly as long to make up his mind as it usually would given the situation. He nodded once and then proceeded to scoop the boy into his arms, smirking softly as the surprised expression and silent yelp on the boy's face at being picked up…it was as if he had never been lifted off the ground before.

"Don't worry, I have you," Trowa said in a soft, comforting tone he didn't even know he had in him as he started to walk slowly back to his seaside castle with his cargo in his arms. The teal eyes fixed back onto his green ones and the grip around his shoulders grew lax; he already trusted Trowa and he didn't even know him. The gentle smile returned and he nodded his head after he turned back to look at the alcove he had been in for a moment. "Everything's going to be fine…I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you."

The blonde nodded again, that same unwavering trust never fading his brilliant turquoise eyes, and rested his head on Trowa's shoulder as he let the prince carry him back towards the castle in the mid-afternoon sun. Trowa smiled gently down at the almost sleeping boy before he realized what he was doing and schooled his face back into its indifferent mask…how had this boy already wormed his way past his defenses so quickly? Trowa shook his head to clear his thoughts, catching the scent of the blonde's hair for a moment as he did…he smelled like the sea, clean and salty, and it was intoxicating.

Trowa tried to dislodge his thoughts again as he saw the boy blink his eyes open as he began to ascend the stairs that led back towards the castle grounds from the beach, carefully worked into the Cliffside to not ruin the beach's landscape. The boy smiled again as he looked over Trowa's shoulder…it was like every sight, no matter how common or mundane, sparked an amazement out of the blonde, and he let out a silent laugh as he turned back to face Trowa.

Well, life had certainly gotten much more interesting, that was for sure.

Trowa set down the boy carefully, so not to expose him, and pushed open the doors to the manor, grabbing the boy's hands with his own and slowly leading him inside, trying to hold back a chuckle at how awkwardly the boy walked…or maybe it was the intense look of concentration on the blonde's face that he found humorous. He called out for his sister and S to come down…he knew Heero was out scouting the town for the mystery boy with the beautiful voice, but his sister would be perfect to help find the blonde some new clothes and quarters to stay in. He didn't really care if it wasn't proper (as the proper thing would have been to make him into a servant or sell him as a slave…both made Trowa inexplicably angry for some reason) to treat a washed up boy like a fellow prince…he could have been, for all Trowa knew.

"Trowa!" he heard the sound of his sister's tenor from down the hall, her voice breaking him away from the troublesome thoughts occupying his mind. "It's not dark yet, what are you doing back so--?"

Cathy stopped short as she saw why exactly her brother had returned early…a stunning blonde clad only in a toga-like sail, whom seemed to be concentrating on walking on wobbly legs as Trowa led him further into the castle. Cathy thought for a moment that her brother had actually found his mystery boy and she was about to express her joy for him when his voice halted her. "He's washed up from a shipwreck, Cathy, and he can't speak…I couldn't leave him out there."

"Well, of course you couldn't," Cathy answered with a laugh as the boy flashed a brilliant smile her way as he walked in without Trowa's hands guiding him, resting her hand on her little brother's shoulder and squeezing softly. "He's absolutely adorable! Do you know his name?"

"He can't speak, Cathy," Trowa reiterated, a disappointed tone to his voice as he let his gaze linger on the slender blonde. Her lavender-like eyes fixed her brother with a look before she focused again on the boy, who was still practicing walking and doing it with a little more balance now. Maybe this boy could do the same as the mystery one had…he already had enchanted her brother without even trying…to bad her brother hadn't figured that out yet. She smiled and walked over towards the boy after nodding to her brother in understanding…he wanted to help him.

"Hello," Cathy said warmly, giggling lightly at the wave and smile she received in turn from the boy, who wobbled slightly after his wave. "My name's Cathy, I'm Trowa's older sister. Do you want to get cleaned up and out of that, um, robe? And then you could join my brother and his friends for dinner!"

The boy smiled softly and nodded his head as he reached out his hand for Cathy to grasp and lead him on. Cathy did so, calling out to her brother that she'd see him at dinner, and to tell Heero not to interrogate the boy when he met him. Trowa smirked after his sister but felt that same, strange feeling from the beach fill him as the blonde turned and shot him one last smile before allowing himself to be led away…it looked liked things just got that much more interesting around Bartona.

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Duo stayed crouched behind his hiding spot until he heard the human prince walk away…and looked up in time to see him carrying Quatre with him. He gave the blonde a thumb's up when Quatre turned his head quickly and flashed a big smile towards him, and Wufei who had just resurfaced silently…that solved at least one problem. It looked like Quatre wasn't going to have any problem actually getting near the prince; now all he needed was for him to fall in love…Duo wondered vaguely which was the easier of the two tasks.

"Well, " Duo said with a grin once he was sure the two were out of ear-shot, shooting a side glance Wufei's way as he attempted to walk out from behind the rock. "Quat sure didn't waste any time, did he?"

"That makes this easier…" Wufei mused to himself, staring off after the pair until a loud crash, followed by a meek "ow," forced his attention back towards the braided merman. The violet-eyed boy was sitting on the ground and nursing another stubbed, what did they call them, toe? Yes, a toe. Wufei narrowed his dark eyes as a thought just occurred to him…he wanted Duo with the prince, not roaming the beaches stark naked. "Duo, you need to get into that castle as well…the whole point why I granted you a human body was to stick close to Quatre, and maybe help the human prince along…it would help if you at least hinted at his name."

"Can't he just guess?"

"He'll never guess a name like 'Quatre,'" Wufei corrected as he watched Duo stand up and try to steady the shaking legs…this was going to be harder than he thought. "And besides, he'll need your help with the prince…you'll have to be his, dare I say it, voice."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but how do I get in there?" Duo asked as he motioned strongly towards the castle, almost losing his balance again as he did so. "It's not like I can just stroll up to the gates and shout out, 'Hey! I'm the silent guy's friend from under the sea…yeah, the sea! We're merfolk and the prince needs his buddies with him!' or something!"

"You get in the same way Quatre did," Wufei answered with an arched eyebrow towards the braided merman, well human now. "The prince had a friend, didn't he? Get in through him."

"That still doesn't answer my question of _how,_ Wuffers," Duo responded pointedly with a glare sent the dark haired merman's way, a glare that only received a smirk in answer despite the hated nickname usage.

"I guess you'll have to figure that out on your own," Wufei said with a lofty smile as he began to wade back out further into the water. "It shouldn't be to hard, you are naked after all. If either of you two needs me, just stand in the water and call…I'll hear you."

"Where are you going?" Duo asked as he shakily walked towards the water, dipping his feet in and giving the merman mage a strange look. "Wouldn't it be better if you stay here?"

"I am…but I need to inform Sally of what's happened. She can be trusted to not inform the king, but she'll be upset with all of us if we didn't tell her…obstinate woman," Wufei called out before he dove back into the water, the last part muttered with no real ire.

Duo stared off for a moment or two before he slowly, very slowly, walked back out of the water and towards the cliffs. He really didn't know just how he was going to get into the castle…maybe if he shouted for Quatre, the blonde could convince the human prince to let him in…of course, Quatre couldn't exactly voice confidence in him, so that really wouldn't work. He was able to walk through a narrow passage way that ran between the cliffs and he found himself on unfamiliar terrain.

The ground wasn't like sand…it was softer and darker in color and looked unnatural…as if it had been made. He looked down both stretches of land before deciding to head in the direction that led towards the castle…that's where he needed to go anyway. As he walked, still slowly as to not trip over any unseen objects, Duo looked down at his body and sighed in a frustrated kind of way; he really didn't want to wear clothes, but it seemed like he'd have no option once he was met with humans. If the prince, while just walking along the beach by himself, wore that many clothes, he would be expected to as well. Duo scowled at the thought of it…he didn't see what the big deal with clothes was…it wasn't like he would need them.

Duo was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't see or hear a rider coming down the path until a loud cry jolted his violet eyes up…only to lock onto a huge animal with four legs, a long face, and at least sixteen feet high. He let out a yelp and dove out of the way, grumbling as he scraped his newly formed knees on the gravel he found to be embedded in the ground…these legs were turning out to be more of a hassle than a blessing. Duo checked the different parts of his body with shaking hands, to make sure everything was still there, and was fingering his long braid when a cold and annoyed voice broke through the silence.

"Baka…I could have killed you. Why didn't you move when I called for you to?"

Duo looked up and focused his now blazing purple eyes on the rider, the rider who could have just gone around him or slowed his beast down rather than almost run him over. He pushed himself to his feet in a fluid motion and for once stood without shaking or wobbling and glared at the human with his hands on his bare hips. "Excuse me, buddy, but YOU'RE the one who should be apologizing to ME! You almost ran me over with that...that…that thing and now you call me and idiot! It wouldn't have killed you to juts slow down and let someone, who doesn't know where he even is, juts keep walking towards that stupid castle so he can see if his friend is there!"

Duo closed his argument with a very mature act of sticking his tongue out at the rider and crossed his arms over his equally bare chest. The rider's eyes, now actually looking at him rather than past him, were wide with surprise…it took Duo a second to remember the whole no-clothes thing and he sighed under his breath, already promising both Wufei and Quatre a whole heaping pile of guilt for making him go through this. Duo turned his eyes back on the rider, and felt about ready to kick himself when he saw who it was.

There was no mistaking that unruly brown hair and deep blue eyes anywhere…damn it, how was he going to get into the castle now? He had just insulted the man who could get him in!

"Is-is there a reason why you're naked in the middle of the road?" the rider asked as he dismounted off the animal's back, a distinct look of surprise still dancing across his features…which looked somewhat out of character for the stoic young man.

'Well…I, um, I shipwrecked?" Duo answered in a smaller voice than before, shrugging his shoulders and smirking at how the blue eyes of the rider now seemed to be focused on something in the dirt. "I had a friend who shipwrecked with me…but I lost him at sea. I was hoping he was here." There, hopefully that would explain why he was looking for Quatre…and why he didn't have any clothes; he imagined walking around in wet clothes was uncomfortable.

"Hn," was all the answer the violet-eyed merman received from the rider…at least until a soft bundle of fabric hit him in the face. Duo looked at what he was holding and then back up at the rider with a question in his eyes. "They'll be a little big on you, but it will work until I get to the castle. I'm not riding with you indecent through town."

"You-you'll take me to the castle?" Duo asked in a hopeful voice, hands clenching around the soft material he was holding…it looked to be the rider's spare tunic and cloak.

"Yes…if you ever get dressed and we can leave."

"Oh…okay then!" Duo responded brightly as he pulled the tunic over his head, as the rider seemed to be wearing it. He didn't know what to do with the cloak, se he just wrapped it around his waist like Quatre had done with the tattered thing earlier. He walked, cautiously, over towards the huge animal and hesitated long enough for the human to growl under his breath and practically toss him on the back of the beast. After the human mounted as well, seating himself behind Duo and wrapping his arms around his waist to reach the reins, he said a strange word and the animal began to trot back towards the city.

"By the way," Duo spoke aloud after a second or so had passed in silence…he hated silence. "My name's Duo. I may run and hide, but I never lie…and you're…?"

After another several second of silence, Duo got a terse reply. "Heero."

"Well, Heero, nice to meet you!" Duo answered before launching into a series of meaningless conversations and observations as they made their way back into town. He smiled inwardly at the occasional grunts of annoyance and scowls he could almost feel Heero sending his way as he chattered on…this would be almost as much fun as teasing Wufei. And maybe…maybe Quatre wasn't the only one who could try and nab a human while they were here. Nope…looks like things just got interesting after all.

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Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! It means so much to me…let's keep my muses fed! I love to hear what you think! More to come soon…with a lot more fluff between all of our couples!

Osco


	6. Chapter 6

_**Surfacing (6?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Six: _But as Love Began to Grow_**

Quatre couldn't help but smile broadly as he played in a large tub of frothy water that smelled cleaner than any sea salt in Araaba and reflected on his incredibly good fortune to be in the palace with the prince. Sure, he didn't have his voice and the prince was intent on looking for another boy who could speak (even when he had the real one sitting in his arms) and he really didn't understand anything about humans besides they walked on legs and couldn't breathe underwater, but he was so happy to have been given this chance he didn't really care about all the details. The woman who led him here, Cathy she told him was her name, had helped him out of the tattered cloth he wore around his waist and then called in for some other young human girls to help him…bathe? Such a funny word…and he didn't know water, something he had lived in all his life, could be so much fun; bathing proved to be just that though.

He let out a silent laugh as the bubbles were rinsed from his hair and body as the water was drained from the tub and flashed a smile at the older woman who handed him a large and fluffy towel to dry off in. He steadied himself on the rim of the tub and climbed to his feet, heedless of the fact he was wearing nothing and there were blushing women present…women who were promptly shooed away by the elderly matron as she shut the door to give him some privacy. He shrugged his shoulders at it though, he agreed with Duo in the belief that humans worried much too much about clothing and such. He slowly walked over, so as not to trip, to the pile of clothing waiting for him on a nearby chair, a note left by Cathy stating she hoped the clothing was the right fit and to meet her in the hallway when he was ready for dinner.

He picked up the strange material with two hands and studied each piece before he attempted to dress at all…the last thing he wanted was to look like a simpleton in front of the prince…it was bad enough he couldn't speak as it was. After a few trial and errors, Quatre figured out which pieces were meant to be worn underneath the actually clothing and slipped those on before he tugged the dark black bottoms on after, nearly falling to the ground as he did so, but managing to remain upright. The tight fitting top was next, a crisp white color that had long coverings over the arms that went until his wrists…those slippery contraptions used to hold the top together were troublesome though and it took the blonde several attempts before he got the top on correctly. The last piece was a dark blue vest that looked like it was meant to be worn open, which was good because he didn't want to close up another top again after the last one!

He strode over to the large full length mirror and examined his reflection as he combed a hand through his soft, golden locks. It was strange to see his hair staying still in place…in the water, it constantly moved, but here it just bounced lightly as he walked, curling under his ears in the back and framing his face gently. If he was in Araaba, he supposed he would look all right for a nice dinner…but that was there and he was here, in Bartona as Cathy informed him. Besides, he had never really took too much stock in how he looked before anyhow…but that was before a certain green-eyed prince made him worry about those kind of things.

He let out a silent huff as he combed his hands through his hair, eyeing the contraptions littered across the vanity with a wary eye…he didn't know what those were used for, but the spindled thing looked more like a torture device than anything else. His eyes found their teal reflection in the mirror once more as Quatre took in a deep breath and steadied his breathing. He couldn't help but be nervous…there was a lot riding on this dinner and he didn't want to mess anything up. He turned his gaze to the ocean outside with a soft, but sad smile as he gazed out over the waves…he hoped his family wouldn't be too upset with him when they found out what he had done.

He had reservations himself, especially after Dorothy had explained the stipulations to him should he fail, but one look into the prince's green eyes that afternoon wiped them all away…this chance was worth the risk involved. He wondered briefly about Duo and Wufei…especially Duo; he was the one turned into a human too after all to help the prince fall in love with Quatre. He had tried to explain through hand gestures to the humans he had encountered that Duo was still on the beach…but they would just smile at him and giggle when they turned away…it was all quite annoying. Why couldn't these creatures understand hand movements as well as speech?

Quatre was saved from answering his own question when a gentle knock sounded at his door, followed by an even gentler voice that he remembered from earlier. "Hey in there, are you ready yet? Dinner's about to be served and I'm sure Trowa wants you to meet S and Heero."

Quatre smiled and walked over, with a little more ease this time, to the door and pulled it open with a big grin on his face. He felt the grin slowly start to slide off as Cathy just stared at him with an open mouth and wide lavender eyes…did he really look that bad? Okay, so maybe he didn't understand the need for clothing, but he thought he had at least figured out where everything went! He began to bite his lip and could feel a blush start coating his cheeks and was about to turn back inside the room when the red-haired woman snapped out of her stare and smiled at him…looks like she guessed at his anxiety.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed with apologetic eyes and laid a hand on his forearm, directing him out into the hallway. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel like you didn't look nice…quite the opposite in fact. I guess I didn't notice it before in the sail and all that sand stuck to you…you look quite handsome, little one." She finished with a wink and added lowly as she began to lead him down the hallway, "And, I think my brother will be even more shocked than I was…you'll knock the pants right off him!"

Quatre shot her a look of surprise but didn't try and pantomime his question as Cathy briskly led him through the winding pathways of the seaside manor. Was it really that obvious to everyone? Well, there was no use in worrying about that now…they were already standing outside the huge doors to what he assumed led to the dining room. He took a deep breath and followed Cathy into the room with a shy smile and a curious expression coloring his face as he looked around the huge chamber. There were large windows everywhere that showed off a magnificent view of the ocean…he had never seen the sun set before. He smiled broader as his teal eyes were transfixed to the splashed of color in the sky and sighed happily to himself…and he was enjoying it so much he nearly fell over when he felt a hand on his shoulder turn him around.

"Oh, sorry!" Cathy said with a bright smile as she led him over to the table where there were a few men sitting around Trowa. Quatre smiled at the prince, who had changed to fancier clothing that was colored in dark greens and browns, before he directed his gaze to each of the men who were looking at him curiously. On had a strange nose covering, and Quatre recognized him from the ship that stormy night, the one who had wanted Trowa to marry someone, but he was only looking at him now with kind eyes. Two others were also elderly, one kind while the other was looking at him with a slight sneer on his face. The last looked younger, with dark brown hair and similar colored eyes, and he was regarding him with a neutral expression.

"I'd like to introduce you all to our new house guest, gentlemen," Cathy said aloud after smirking at her brother…who couldn't seem to stop staring at the slender blonde with the ocean-colored eyes. "Little one, I'd like to introduce you to or very own Professor S," the man with the nose covering waved. "Marquis Wayridge," the kinder elder inclined his head with a soft grin and a wink. "Lord Tsuberov," the sneering man smiled oily at him…he didn't know what that smile meant, but he already knew he didn't like it. "And last, this is Senator Dorlain," the brown haired man smiled slightly and inclined his head.

"And does our new _friend_ have a name?" the man called Tsuberov asked in a nasally voice…was nothing about this man attractive? Quatre decided that there was nothing that could be saved after the gigantic nose…

"He can't speak," Trowa responded with a cold glare sent the Lord's way as he got up and guided Quatre to a seat beside himself…so far, so good. "But I hardly think that matters. He was washed up from a shipwreck and will be treated as an equal to myself while he is here."

"But, your Highness…"

"He may have been a Czar wherever he's from," Trowa answered in a flippant way as he pointedly turned his attention away from the greasy old man and back to the blonde at his side…it was truly amazing what a little bath and the right clothing could do to someone already so beautiful. "If you are only here to insult my guests, Tsuberov, I suggest you leave now."

"I-I meant no offence, Sire," the man said quickly before he excused himself from the dinner to sue the restroom…Quatre hated politics so much. Oh well, he didn't like that man anyway.

"Do you feel any better?" the green-eyed prince asked him after his sister took a seat besides S, eyeing him closely as if to make sure he was fine.

Quatre nodded with a smile before he went back to looking around the chamber with the bemused expression he had worn during the sunset. Everything was so different here than in Araaba…so different, and yet so very similar! There were many paintings, made from some sort of different material than the coral ones Merfolk used, and the mainly seemed to depict some sort of landscape…they were beautiful to someone who had never seen a field of grass before.

"That's good," was all the answer he received from the prince, but Quatre didn't mind…he seemed like a man of few words. "You know, I feel asinine calling you 'little one' all the time," Trowa said again as he looked over at the blonde with a small smile playing on his lips. "You must have had a name…maybe I can guess it."

Quatre didn't know how much luck the prince was going to have with this method…his name wasn't exactly commonplace in Araaba and he suspected even less so here on land. He nodded anyway with a shrug and a small smile of his own, his teal eyes sparkling in interest.

"All right…how about, Sebastian?" Quatre gave the prince an affronted look before vehemently shaking his head. Trowa let out an actual laugh at the reaction which caused several members at the table to look over at him with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. "All right, I'll take that as a no."

"Trowa…that's the first time I've heard you laugh in…in months!" Cathy exclaimed with a laugh of her own, her big eyes shining with tears of happiness as she looked at her brother.

"Oh…well, I'm trying to guess his name," Trowa gestured to Quatre who deigned the others with a wave and smile. "It isn't right that everyone just keeps referring to him as boy…"

"It certainly isn't," the old man, S, proclaimed in his high voice as he winked cheerfully at the slim blonde before turning his gray gaze back on Trowa. "Maybe we should all help out…we might come up with the name quicker. Is your name, Herbert by chance?"

Quatre made a face as he shook his head no, looking even more affronted by that name than by the previous.

"Paul?" Cathy asked as she shot S a withering look…as if anyone that adorable would be named Herbert. Quatre shook his head no once more.

"Harry?" No.

"Jason?" Sigh…then no.

"Jean Luc?" Scowl sent towards the smirking prince and then a no.

"Dieter?" Are you kidding!

"QUATRE!"

Quatre looked up with a silent gasp at the voice…he would recognize that obnoxious voice anywhere! Sure enough, there stood Duo in the middle of the entry way, a jacket and loose pair of pants adorning his frame and his violet eyes sparkling in mischief as he stood besides the harsh looking youth who always followed the prince around. Quatre nodded enthusiastically and leapt up from the chair, vaulted over the table much to the surprise and amusement of those present, and threw himself into the braided youth's arms…thank Allah he had found a way to the palace on his own!

"Quatre?" the blonde heard Trowa ask from behind, causing him to turn his head and smile softly at the prince as he disengaged from his hug…nodding his head once in assent. "Your name is Quatre." Anther nod was given, even though it wasn't really needed. The prince was silent for another minute before he said in a pleased tone, "It suits you."

Quatre felt himself blush and stepped away from Duo, who of course was smirking at him, and tried to convey a thank you as everyone turned their attention to the dark haired man beside Duo.

"I found him wandering down the roads," Heero supplied without waiting for the question, his dark blue eyes flashing in annoyance towards Duo and mild surprise towards Quatre. "He said he and a friend were shipwrecked…and his friend couldn't speak. I'm assuming this is him."

Trowa merely nodded his head before he turned his attention to the young mermen, a calculating look in his eyes. "You both were on the same ship…and were friends before you arrived here?"

"Well," Duo started as he and Quatre shared a look…it probably wouldn't go over well if they told everyone the truth and such. No, it was better to tell a little white lie in order to keep the others from thinking they were crazy. "We just met on the ship…I'm from a land called Lagrange and he's from Araaba." So far, that was true. They just didn't specify where exactly these lands were. "It was a long journey, so we kind of bonded so we wouldn't be bored the entire time."

"What happened to your ship?" Cathy asked this time, sending an annoyed look towards her brother for his suspicious tone. "And all your family who were aboard?"

"There was a storm," Duo said while trying to sniffle for effect to hide the grin Quatre was making spread his face at his wild gestures to reenact a storm. "And our ship caught fire from a bolt that came from the sky…me and Quatre got off with a few others on one of those little boats, but we were separated when that boat capsized a few days later…I don't know if anyone else survived."

"Then why did you?" Heero asked in his cold voice, causing both Duo and Quatre to narrow their eyes at him.

"We're good swimmers," was all Duo answered as Quatre nodded his head. "We're not lying about this, you know! I mean, I don't usually walk around naked in unknown lands on my weekends…I don't know about Quat, but I don't."

Quatre gave Duo an affronted look as his face blushed a light pink in embarrassment…maybe Wufei should have agreed to accompany him rather than Duo; it would have been at least less mortifying. The slight chuckle that came from the people surrounding the table made him groan silently and send his braided friend a glare that promised future pain of some sort. S came up and led both boys to the table with a smile as Heero just glared at Duo the entire time…maybe that was just how he looked at people, Quatre thought to himself with a grin at how Duo was walking…that slight shake to the hips definitely hadn't changed when his fins turned into legs.

"Come now, you two," S said with a groan as he sent Trowa and Heero a look of exasperation after he returned to his own seat and the other boys sat down. "I don't think these two are terrorists," not noticing the confused looks and shrugs the changed mermen shared with each other at the word. "And should not be treated with such hostility after their trying ordeals!"

"They probably are lost and confused, you two," Cathy said as she took a sip of her water, smiling in a dangerous way at her brother and his best friend. "You both should take them around town and show them all the sights! It would be good for you two to get some actual HUMAN interaction, and I'm sure Quatre and…"

"Duo," Duo supplied as the waiters began to bring out the food dishes…please, don't let it be fish! It would be weird if both he and Quatre just happened to be allergic to fish.

"And Duo would appreciate it," Cathy finished with a sort of tone that brooked no argument.

Heero shrugged his shoulders in an indifferent yes and Trowa just gave his sister small smirk as he nodded his head as well before he shot the blonde looking at a fork strangely. He smiled inwardly as he watched him, unable to figure out why this little blonde with the ocean-like eyes was able to capture his attention with hardly even trying and returned to his own plate. He let out a snort of amusement as he watched Duo, the violet-eyed youth who was still dressed in clothes he knew to be Heero's, eat the salad and roasted beef with gusto…and all the while earning several glares from his arms master that Trowa knew better than to think of as glares. He still felt that nagging suspicion in the back of his mind that told him to be wary of these two youths, the part of his mind that he had listened to since his parents' assassination, but every time he looked into those big, blue-green eyes he couldn't help think it was ridiculous to even suspect the boy.

After everyone finished dinner, which was not fish to both Duo's and Quatre's delight, S suggested that their new guests be shown to rooms and get some rest after their harrowing trials. Trowa nodded and rose up, offering his hand to help the little blonde up and left with Heero and the braided boy, who was chattering non-stop to an eye-twitching arms master, following closely behind. Cathy smiled at them as they rounded the corner and heard S whisper in her ear, "Well, that is certainly promising."

"Yes," Cathy answered with a gentle smile and a apt on the old man's cheek before she turned to thank the other men for joining her brother for dinner, her brother's laugh and smile still replaying in her mind and who was responsible for it all. How lucky it was for them to receive the two washed up boys indeed. "Yes, it certainly does."

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"So…things going good so far?"

A nod, followed by a happy smile and a silent sigh that Duo knows is a happy one. They had been given adjoining rooms, he and Quatre, and he thought it was perfect for some late night chat time with his prince.

"That's good…Wuffers went back home to tell Sally what happened, but then he said he'd be back to help out too. He said she wouldn't tell anyone."

Another nod this time very sure of itself and in Wufei.

"Well, at least you're still a little ray of sunshine about the whole thing…we've only got nine days left to make this work you know. I don't want to see you made into an Ozralean slave, Quat…do you know what they make their slaves do?"

Another nod and a slightly apprehensive look cross the blonde's face before he quickly covers it with a determined expression.

"Do you really love this guy, I mean, enough to risk losing everything? We're talking about your freedom and your...your--"

Quatre nodded again with a gentle smile and hugged his best friend to try and reassure Duo that everything was going to be okay. It didn't work, but Duo returned the hug anyway, trying to forget the consequences their failure could bring about…it wouldn't help if tomorrow they both acted like someone had killed their dolphin or something.

"Well, I guess we're just going to have to wow them both, aren't we, Quat?" Duo asked as he disengaged from the hug and arched his eyebrow at his blonde friend who was grinning as well. "You looked good tonight by the way, really good. I think I saw a little bit of drool dangling from your tall prince's mouth there a couple times!"

A laugh, silent of course but still able to be heard in Duo's mind, was let out as Quatre blushed slightly at the brash merman's comment.

"Well, you actually have had a trying day, so we should get some sleep," Duo said with a yawn as he clambered off the bed and turned so he could head back towards his own room. "We'll need to come up with some details about our lives too…I'm sure they're going to ask about it tomorrow."

Quatre reached up and tugged Duo's hand so he could look into the violet eyes with his own teal orbs. There was a question there that Duo didn't need to hear to understand, but Quatre mouthed it anyway…_are you okay with that?_

"I'm fine…it's not like I'm the only orphan around," Duo said with a joking smile as he tugged his hand back and ruffled the blonde's hair…which earned an annoyed look and pout from said blonde. "I'll just sugar coat it or something…get some rest, Quat." And with that, Duo exited the room and left Quatre to fall asleep on the fluffy bed that squished down every time he bounced on it…humans really did have such interesting contraptions. It didn't take long for either merman to fall asleep, and both dreamt of tomorrow and a pair of humans that made them happy.

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Rabban Winner, ruler of Araaba and all the oceans, was upset…and not with anyone but himself this round. He had caused this, he had caused his youngest child and only son to runaway…all because he hadn't been as understanding as he should have been. Yes, maybe they didn't agree when it came to humans and maybe Quatre was foolish enough to believe he had fallen in love with one but…but his dear Quaterina had been the same way. He should have understood…and now he had lost one of his dearest children all because of his own foolishness.

His daughters had taken up the search all throughout the sea, visiting the Maguanacs who ruled larger provinces in his name all throughout the ocean and smaller villages to see if that was where his son had fled to…but none were correct. To make matters worse, Duo and Wufei had disappeared as well…everything stank of Ozralean work, but Rabban shuddered to even think of that as a possibility…he couldn't bear to think his son had been captured by those filthy octopuses.

He heaved another sad sigh and covered his face with a hand as he felt two hands placed themselves, comfortingly, on his shoulders. His twins, Shaara and Maia, two of four children that his precious wife had born to him, Iria and Quatre being the other two were with him, trying to alleviate their own guilt at blabbing the fact their brother was in love. Iria was off with Sally, who had called the mermaid over to help her make a potion that would help keep the searching Merfolk enduranced for their longer swims, but he knew that she was furious with him…and he couldn't blame her.

"What have I done…" he murmured to the silent sea as he felt a lone tear leak down his cheek. "What have I done?"

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Thank you all so much for the reviews and kind words! Let's please do it again…it only takes a moment to press the purple button ! Next up is a long chapter…but I have a massive paper that I must do, so it may be a little bit until I get it out. Please be patient, I promise that the next chapter will come as soon as it possibly can!

Osco


	7. Chapter 7

_**Surfacing (7/?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Seven: _And Walls Began to Lessen_**

Despite the seemingly dire circumstances he seemed to be in, Quatre awoke the next morning with bemused smile on his sleepy face and a good feeling that the day was going to go great. Sure he only had nine days left, and the consequence of failing was way to terrible to worry over at the moment, but he couldn't help but by excited about taking a tour of Bartona along with Duo, that silent arms master, and the Prince. The mere idea of spending the next few days exploring and learning the human culture he had always dreamed about was too enticing to worry over his deadline just yet.

He stretched to work the kinks out of his back from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed before he swung his legs over the side, grinning all the while and humming to himself silently. He glanced out the window and sighed as his deep blue gaze was filled with the sun rising on the horizon…he had never seen it rise before. Quatre walked over to the wardrobe in his room and leafed through the clothes, trying to determine what was appropriate to wear on a casual outing in human culture. He decided on a less fancy pair of light brown breeches and a white collared tunic with a dark green vest (he had already concluded that the clothing he had worn last night was reserved for a more formal occasion). Once he was properly dressed he bounded over to Duo's room and knocked on the door to see how his friend was doing.

"Who is it?" an aggravated voice asked after a few knocks. Quatre scowled and rolled his eyes before he knocked harder on the door. Like he could respond…

"Quat, is that you? What am I doing, of course it's you…hold on one minute!" Quatre smiled at the flustered quality of Duo's voice as he waited another moment or so for Duo to open his door. When he did, Quatre was met with a sight he knew he'd never forget…and he couldn't help but burst into silent laughter as Duo yanked him into the room. Quatre had an idea that the violet-eyed merman wouldn't really know what to do when it came to clothing, but he had hoped he would've at least figured out that the shirt sleeves didn't work as leg coverings as well.

"I don't find this funny, _your Highness_," Duo grumbled as he glared at his laughing friend. "It's not my fault that humans wear to many clothes…how am I supposed to figure out what goes where when they all look the same to me?"

Quatre got his laughter under control and just smiled at Duo, his deep blue eyes still shining in laughter at his braided friend's predicament as he helped Duo's legs out of his tunic. He motioned for Duo to spread his arms, which the violet-eyed youth did with a quizzical gaze, and slipped the similarly colored tunic over his head. The blonde hurried over to the closet and tossed the brunette some under clothes before he came back with black leggings and a pair of black boots. After all was said and done, Duo struck quite an image in the clothing and passed off for any normal human.

"Quat, what would I do without you?" Duo asked with a grin as he admired himself in the mirror. He glanced over to see Quatre make a cutting motion at his neck before crossing his eyes and also his arms over his chest; he laughed gently at the ocean prince's pantomiming before responding with, "Yeah, I probably would keel over. Well, I'm starved and we're the guests in a castle…let's go find some grub!"

Quatre grinned as Duo grabbed his arm and hurried them both out of the room and down the corridor towards the dining room. How Duo could remember the way through the many winding hallways and doors that led back to the room where they had been reunited last night, was beyond Quatre, but the braided merman had always had an excellent sense of direction. The blonde didn't press details as to why the other did, as it probably had something to do with his old clan and that was always a painful subject for Duo to discuss. Quatre felt a pang of guilt bloom in his breast at the thought…it was the Ozraleans who had destroyed his entire clan all those years ago, leaving a six year old Duo to wander back from Lagrange to Araaba all by himself. Quatre knew that was the real reason as to why Duo was so concerned with his deal with the Sea Witch…he didn't want to lose another brother to the Ozraleans.

Before Quatre could continue down this train of thought, he found himself in the very bright dining room and Duo chattering about how there was no food when you needed it before he was tugged towards a side door in the large chamber by the enthusiastic merman. The door, upon later inspection, led to the kitchens and was bustling with activity that seemed to counter the stillness of the dining hall. Maybe this was something different in human culture, Quatre mused as Duo let go of his hand an immediately started charming the wits out of a petite serving girl to get some food for them both before they had to eat with the stuffed shirts.

In Araaba, dinners were very much a social occasion, but there was hardly this much propriety to them. Servants and nobles ate alike at the tables and the food was oft prepared right before the eyes of the patrons, not hidden away in a separate room. Quatre didn't really see the reasoning for hiding the preparation of food, as it could help identify if an assassination or other such foul deed was being attempted, but he decided that it was not his place to judge another culture's ways as wrong. They were simply different…no more, no less. Quatre was shocked out of his musings once again by Duo as he stuffed piles of foreign food into his arms and began pushing him out of the kitchens.

"Thanks, Hilde!" Duo called out with a grin as he hurried the shocked ocean prince out from the kitchens. Quatre saw the petite serving girl give Duo an exasperated glare before shooing them out…a smile on her face belaying the annoyance she was trying to muster up.

"We're not allowed in the kitchens," Duo explained as he began munching on some of his food, answering the unasked question from Quatre's lips. "It's not proper or something…dumb rule if you ask me. The cook thinks we need to eat as much as we can though…something about being shipwrecked and that we're to skinny…which I highly disagree with. I know for a fact that I'm not…maybe she was right about you but…OW!"

Quatre glared at his braided friend after stomping on his foot for the last comment, earning a sheepish laugh and an "I was just kidding, Quat" from the violet-eyed merman, who went back to eating all the food in his arms. He gave the blonde prince a look when he noticed that Quatre hadn't really started eating, which the teal-eyed merman responded with a sigh as he took a bite out of one of the sweeter looking pastries they had been given. He didn't really like sweet things, preferring the more exotic taste that foods with a kick had, but every now and then the urge came upon him. Human food was quite good anyway…although Quatre had a sinking suspicion that it wasn't the healthiest for him or Duo (who was nearly finished with his copious amount of food and was eyeing Quatre's).

They were so engrossed in their eating and examining of the seaside view that neither merman noticed the entrance of two slightly suspicious humans enter, flanked by a smiling red head and a nose-covered man. The taller of the two cleared his throat, causing both mermen to whip their heads up and focus on the green-eyed prince and his retainers. Quatre smiled, food no completely forgotten, and Duo smirked to himself before he waved merrily whilst reaching for one of the blonde's forgotten pastries. His smile faded slightly as he noticed the dark-haired arms master glaring at them both with a bit more ire than usual.

"How did you both find your way down here?" Heero asked accusingly as his dark blue eyes scanned back and forth between the two confused youths.

"Well," Duo said as he stood up and placed his hands on his hips, glaring back at the arms master while Quatre stood as well, looking a bit exasperated at the accusing tone. "Not that it's any of your business, but I have a GREAT sense of direction and never get lost! And why don't you and unibang over there drop the whole suspicious act already! Quat and I aren't here to take over or whatever you think we're going to do…all we wanted was to get a little bit of food before YOU two take us around the city…sorry if we overstepped our welcome."

Quatre had nodded emphatically all the while Duo ranted, scowling slightly at the braided merman when he was calling Trowa "unibang," and then locked his teal eyes with the green ones of the prince after his friend was finished. He didn't know why he was so silent and cold, but he was determined to help him out nay way he could…maybe learning to trust another was the first step. He kept his gaze with the cold prince, refusing to flinch or back down under such an impersonal gaze…he had seen the side of the prince that wasn't guarded the day before, and he intended to bring that out once more.

"For goodness sakes, Heero!" Cathy exclaimed from behind her brother and the emotionless warrior, her lavender like eyes glittering in frustration with their attitudes towards their guests. "All they were doing was eating…is that reason to lock them up in the dungeons? Calm down and just act normal for a change! You too, Trowa!"

"I do not trust someone after meeting him for a moment," Trowa replied, tearing his gaze away from the unnerving stare of the teal eyed boy…it made him feel naked and exposed when the youth looked at him like that. "I understand their predicament, and sympathize but I will not ignore common sense. If they want my trust, then they'll have to earn it just as any other would."

Duo snorted from behind his hand but Quatre just nodded and flashed the prince another one of his smiles before he started walking towards the door with Duo in tow, leaving their backs exposed. The gesture did not go unnoticed by any of the humans present and both Cathy and S raised their eyebrows at the prince and Heero, and Cathy gave her brother a warning look to not betray this trust that their newcomers obviously were showing them before she shoved them both to follow the unusual boys. She smiled and waved as her brother sent her an annoyed look before settling slightly behind the blonde while Heero did the same with the braided young man.

S turned towards the red-headed princess of Bartona as the four figures faded from sight and said plainly, "I do hope those two boys exhibit the amount of faith we have placed in them."

"I wouldn't worry," Cathy said with a smile as she turned away and headed back towards her chambers. "I don't know what it is about those two, but I have a feeling that those two strange boys will succeed where all else failed." She turned her head back once at the closing doors and whispered to herself, "Help him out, Quatre…help him feel again."

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Wufei had not been able to sleep that night he had first returned to tell Sally PO and Iria Winner of what had occurred to Quatre and then to Duo, and he was starting to feel it as he swam back towards the seaside kingdom, his eyelids drooping over his black eyes as he struggled to stay awake. It had been hard enough dodging the many guards that King Rabban had sent out to search for his missing son and companion to make it back to Araaba, and it seemed even harder to leave unnoticed, knowing full well that the king was looking for him as well. The only thing keeping his energy up was his gift, that and the knowledge that he had left Quatre alone with Duo in an unfamiliar land with a prince that could turn out to be less than worthy for the heir of the ocean.

He paused by a sea cove as he waited for a patrol to pass by, and his mind started to drift back towards the conversation he had had with his wife early the previous day. Apart from being furious with Quatre for agreeing to a bargain with the Sea Witch, and consequently with Wufei, Duo, and King Rabban for allowing it to happen in the first place, Sally turned out to be very helpful and had arranged for Iria to meet with Wufei so she too could know what was happening. She had also prepared a slave that would help Duo's skin should he not be able to get near water to help strengthen the spell Wufei had cast on him.

Wufei let out a sigh as the patrol passed by and swam out quickly, kicking his black fins powerfully in order to swim away from Araaba as quick as he could. Iria had been upset to hear what had happened, and even more so to learn of what could happen to her baby brother should he fail to get the human prince to fall in love with him, but she had expressed her faith in Wufei and Duo that they would succeed. After promising to keep her father from discovering what happened until the final day of the spell on Quatre, Iria asked to send her brother her love and swam off…as detached as Wufei usually was, it had been hard for him to agree with her request.

Sally had promised to start investigating the Ozraleans more thoroughly; intent on making sure none tried to sabotage the already daunting task Quatre had placed upon himself. She had promised to check in with Iria every day and with Wufei every two days to learn of any progress with the human prince. Wufei was truly thankful his wife was the woman she was…stubborn and maddeningly mysterious but strong enough to make sure Wufei would only have to worry about his prince and Duo.

Wufei shrugged away the feelings of sleepiness he felt start to creep up on him again as he swam towards the land of Bartona, keeping close to the surface to avoid attention from his sea-dwelling brethren. He could start to feel the change in the water as he neared closer to land and he drew upon the last of his energy to get him to a place where he could talk with either Quatre or Duo. The sand grew closer to him and before Wufei could believe it, he was back in the waters he had left Duo and Quatre in, just off the coast of the large castle. Exhaling a sigh of relief he smirked to himself as he poked his head out of the water…he needed to find some sort of channel that led into town or closer to the castle grounds…something that enabled him to speak with either changed merman easily.

After a few moments of looking, Wufei spotted what he was looking for with his dark eyes…a narrow channel that seemed to take him away from the sea and into land. He ducked back under the water and swam towards the channel and then up it, poking his head out of the water cautiously as he went to get an idea of where he was heading. It was only when he started to hear voices above him that he knew he was near humans and hopefully near somewhere that the blonde or braided baka were. He poked his head out and swam underneath a large bridge that seemed to create a crossing in the loud and boisterous marketplace of humans. He let out a tired sigh and settled back against the cool stone of the bridge, deciding it best to wait until he could a familiar voice. He knew a call that both Duo and Quatre would understand…now all he had to do was wait for one of them. He let his eyes drift closed and rested his weary body, letting his energy replenish itself should he need it later and waited.

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The day went by so fast that Quatre could scarcely comprehend that the sun was beginning to descend in the sky when it began to, still so full of curiosity and energy he felt as if he could go on exploring for hours more. While the day hadn't started out quite like he had hoped, with the prince being so suspicious that he was here to do some wrong doings or something, it had progressed nicely. The prince had even forgone walking behind him by noontide and now was striding beside him, clearly exhausted form all the running to and fro Quatre did in the vast market place of Bartona. Sure, the fact that the prince's inherent mistrust of anyone new was cutting into his time to get the prince to love him was there, but Quatre knew that in order for Trowa to open up enough for him to love, he would have to trust first.

Quatre smiled and laughed silently as he watched a street side performance of jugglers on top of moving balls, admiring the dexterity these two humans must have had in order to perform their feats so fluidly. He had seen many different performers that day, some than sang, some that danced, and some that acted but each was just as interesting as the next to the blonde merman; and had he not been so engrossed in everything surrounding him, he might have seen the small smiles the green-eyed prince would send his way.

Quatre turned to his side and flashed a smile at the prince before he turned his attention back to the performers, hoping that Duo was enjoying his time as much as he was…they had separated after noon fast when Duo had wanted to explore a ribbon store and Quatre wanted to watch another performer. They had agreed to meet up back at the castle gates and Heero went off with Duo, scowling every time the braided merman tugged his arm to go faster. Quatre smiled to himself as he watched the jugglers bow and begin to pack up their things to head off towards another area, and started to follow Trowa as the prince led the blonde towards another one of the music stores…the prince had figured out early that day how much Quatre enjoyed music and seemed intent to show the teal-eyed boy everything in this market associated with music.

Quatre began to follow but was stopped dead in his trail when he heard a piercing wail echo through the marketplace, causing the humans to cover their ears and grimace. He might have too, if he had not known what the sounded like under the water…it was the sound of an Araaban harp and Quatre knew only one merman who would play it above water. He glanced back and found Trowa looking at him curiously and Quatre tried to mime that he would be right back before hurrying off…he only hoped the prince understood his message. He hurried to the area where the sound was loudest and found himself standing in the middle of a stone bridge that crossed the water. He looked around and found a rock which he promptly picked up and through over the edge before he hurried over and looked over the edge for a familiar black haired merman to appear.

Sure enough, Wufei poked his head out of the water and up at Quatre, smirking at the smile the blonde prince sent his way. He reached into a satchel he had wrapped around his waist and tossed up a jar to Quatre before he started speaking in the harsh tongue of Araaba so no one would understand.

"I hope you are well, Quatre," Wufei said with a gentler tone than he usually would have, almost smiling at the enthusiastic nod he received in reply. "The salve in the jar is for Duo, should he not make it close enough to water…tell him to rub it on his legs at night in two coats if he doesn't submerge himself in the ocean. Also, your sister, Iria, and Sally have both agreed to keep your situation a secret from your father…but I hope you realize what they are doing for you." Wufei paused for a moment to earn a solemn nod from the blonde prince in reply. "Good…now, I'm going to be checking up on you and Duo every day, so try to get one of you to meet me here…and Sally will be checking into the activities of the Ozraleans to make sure they don't try anything to harm your chances. Now…how is everything going? You only have eight days left."

Quatre smiled down at Wufei, his big blue eyes conveying what his voice could not. He made a motion to his left and then an apologetic look down at the mage merman, both to which Wufei nodded to. "It's all right, Quatre. Go back to him…tell the baka not to cause to much damage to the castle and the humans' sanities and you get the prince to fall for you. I will see you or Duo tomorrow." With that, Wufei dove back under the water and Quatre hurried back to the square with the music store where he had left Trowa, tucking the jar into one of his bags he had gained throughout the day to keep it from sight.

He spotted Trowa waiting outside the store, talking with some townsperson about something and began to hurry back over when something caught his eye; a movement to the left of the green-eyed prince, away and out of sight from anyone bustling around in the marketplace…but not from the eyes of a merman. He had legs, that much was true, and no compatible gills but his senses were still very much Merfolkish…and that included a sharper and quicker sense of sight than humans. The movement was a man dressed in black…and he was holding something that gleamed in his hand…Quatre didn't have to know much about humans to know a human weapon when he saw one. He opened his mouth to try and call out a warning to Trowa, but nothing came out but the wind.

The blonde merman looked around and found a rather large stone, larger than the one he had thrown down to Wufei to get his attention, and he dropped his parcels and picked up the stone quicker than any normal human could. He knew he wasn't the greatest shot, but it would have to do and he hurled the stone through the air with a hope that it would hit the assailant or at least warn the prince of danger. His wish turned out to be true, as a muffled yell of pain and alarm exited from the bushes, causing everyone to whip their heads around and notice the black-clad man stumble from the bush, clutching his head with one hand and cradling a sharp throwing knife with the other. Trowa's eyes whipped around and noticed Quatre waving like an idiot and motioning to the dropped assassin and he felt his blood boil.

The man didn't really stand a chance against the prince as he calmly strode over and clocked the man in the gut, doubling him over and then calling for guards to lock him away for questioning; the amount of strength he showed was impressive to Quatre, even by merfolk standards. He really didn't register he people being calmed down by the guards or the man being hauled away…he only felt Trowa place his hands on his shoulders and stare at him with a strange look in his eye.

"You saved my life," was all the prince said as he stared into the blonde's face and eyes, as if searching for a reason behind the act. "And the assassin could have easily thrown a knife at you…why risk your life for someone you barely know?"

Quatre just shrugged and smiled as he raised his teal eyes to lock onto those bewildered verdant ones. He wished he could voice why he had…it was painfully simple to him, but he knew that the prince wouldn't be able to accept it at this time…so he just poked him in the chest and tried to convey what he could with his eyes. Before he knew it, Quatre felt himself engulfed in arms and his face buried in the shoulder of the prince and then it was over and the prince was looking at him again with that strange expression on his face.

"Thank you…and I'm sorry I doubted your intentions," was all Trowa could say and keep his voice in a calm tone. Everything about this boy called to him, every little thing he did or attempted to say made his heart beat faster and he couldn't help but want to drown in those deep, ocean-like eyes. And while everything his head screamed at him was that he shouldn't forget he loved the person who saved his life, everything his heart told was that he couldn't ignore this slender young man before him. "Come on," he said after a moment of silence, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders and picking up his dropped parcels. "Let's head back before either Heero, or your friend Duo, start to wonder where we are."

Quatre beamed up at him and relaxed against the tall frame of the prince as they walked back towards the palace gates, resting his head on Trowa's shoulder in a trusting gesture. Trowa let out a sigh as blonde hair soft as silk tickled his chin and only wondered one thing as they left the marketplace and all of its bustling and din.

_What are you doing to me, Quatre?_

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So…sorry about the wait everyone! Let's just say that real life took over and my muse let it. I am really sorry for the wait, but I hope everyone liked this chapter! Drop me a review and tell me what you think and I'll see everyone next chapter, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later! Ciao!

Osco


	8. Chapter 8

_**Surfacing (8/?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Eight: _And Love Began Grow_**

Heero wasn't really sure how the two young men from the ocean had done it, but somehow they had wormed their way into his trust, and that of Trowa's, after only a week and a day of knowing them. Sure, he had a guess of why Trowa was so willing to trust the mute blonde (as any in the castle could see that the silent prince was so obviously smitten with the silent youth) and after that day in the marketplace, Heero had grudgingly given his wary trust to the two. Saving the prince's life was a big deal…even big enough to overcome the doubts of the stoic arms master. He had been skeptical of the two castaways' fantastic story, thinking that there was no way that two boys their size could swim to shore after being shipwrecked, and to some extent, and he still was. He just didn't think they were assassins anymore.

The brown-haired man cast his annoyed gaze over at the said castaways as they both examined a tailor making a dress for some socialite through the store window with increasing curiosity. It had been like this for the past week of touring and sight-seeing Trowa and Heero, grudgingly, had taken them on around Bartona. He didn't know where exactly these two's homelands were (he couldn't find an Araaba or Lagrange on any map in Bartona) but some of the mannerisms they both exhibited led Heero to believe that while their story may be true, there was much more to it than either let on. He thought that they may have been escaped slaves, as there were many countries that still exercised that horrible practice, who had somehow been caught and were forced to abandon ship. As much as it angered Heero to think of the two as slaves, it made sense of their state of undress upon discovery and their child-like wonder at every sight.

Heero let out an agonized sigh and rolled his eyes up towards the heavens as the blonde and braided baka hurried over to watch a glass blower work in his shop, forcing him to move from his post and to a nearby fence to lean against. The only thing that didn't add up with his slave theory was the attitudes the two seemed to have. While the violet-eyed Duo was loud and obnoxious most of the time, he had a certain air around him that suggested he had been much more than just a slave from his homeland. He always seemed to watch while he chattered on aimlessly…catching things that even Heero himself hadn't been able to see. He knew bodyguards to have that trait, but a mere slave? Heero's eyes narrowed at the slender back of the brunette, his braid dangling in between his shoulder blades and swaying from side to side as his head followed the glass blower's movements, as his head tried to wrap around the enigma.

And as for Quatre…well, Heero seriously doubted that the blonde had ever had someone tell him no and he had actually listened…a behavior that no slave would have. In fact, if Heero didn't know any better, he would have pegged the blue-eyed mute for some kind of nobility…but that didn't explain his lack of clothing or why he wouldn't introduce himself by a title if he had been robbed. He let out a soft growl as he focused his stare at the backs of Bartona's two newest guests…what frustrated him most was that he COULDN'T figure out the truth of these two. He, Heero Yuy, one of the best interrogators and investigators Bartona had within its borders, couldn't figure out the truth about a mute blonde and an attractive loud mouth.

Attractive…Heero let out another sigh as he tried to shake his head of such ridiculous notions. Sure, the braided baka had a handsome enough face, and his body wasn't too shabby either…and those deep violet eyes…damn it! There was no way that he would end up falling for someone as loud and childish as this Duo Maxwell…a boy who Heero knew virtually nothing about! And seen naked…by the Gods, why did he have to deal with this now?

"Glaring holes into their skulls won't make not knowing everything about them any less irritating to you," a soft voice said, drawing Heero's dark blue gaze into the slightly smirking green eyes of the prince. "And it won't make them stop gawking at dressmakers or craftsmen either."

"Spare me the advice, Trowa," Heero all but growled as he focused his attention away from the now fully smirking prince, glaring with all his might at a twig, almost willing it to burst into flames. "I'm fully aware that it won't…but that doesn't make it any less frustrating."

"You worry too much about it," Trowa stated calmly as he leaned against the tree beside Heero's fence, his green eyes softening at the brilliant smile and wave Quatre gave him before Duo directed their attention to a street-side vendor. "I thought we agreed that they weren't a threat after the assassination attempt."

"That doesn't mean that we know everything about them," Heero responded pointedly, looking over at the warm look Trowa still wore on his face from the smile the blonde had given him. Heero rolled his eyes again; after not showing any interest in anyone for so long, Heero found it amusing and exasperating that the first two people the prince had feelings for were an imaginary rescuer and a mute blonde. Not that Trowa would admit to having feelings for the blonde…he was still to focused on the imaginary rescuer to see what was right in front of him. "It is true that I no longer doubt their peaceful intentions, but I think there's a little more to their story than they've told us."

"Maybe, that doesn't mean it's anything we should know about," Trowa replied easily, his one visible eye looking into Heero's usual stern expression. "We all have secrets, Heero, and maybe we should respect theirs."

"Are you saying this as Prince Trowa of Bartona, or the Trowa who can't get the blue eyes of our visitor out of his head?" Heero asked in a flat voice, smirking at the faint blush that colored the usually expressionless prince's face for a second.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Heero," was the cool response.

"I'm sure."

"…"

"Hn."

"Not to interrupt that fascinating conversation," a lilting voice said from in front of the glaring pair, drawing both their attentions to the smiling faces of Duo and Quatre. "But, me and Quat were wondering if we could go down to the beach for a bit before Cathy calls us in? You two are welcome to continue the 'glare-fest' there if you want."

Heero turned his glare, now in immediate death mode, to Duo's smiling face and the silent laughs coming from the amused blonde beside him. "For two people who were shipwrecked and marooned, you both seem to like going to the ocean and awful lot."

"Well," Duo said with a grin as he rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture, not completely distracting the arms master from the flush that covered Quatre's face at the observation. "It's just soothing, ya know? It won't take long, I double pinky swear!" Duo finished his promise by linking his pinky finger with Heero's and shaking before grabbing the unusually surprised arms master by the hand and dragging him off towards the road that led down to the beach.

Trowa watched with an amused smirk for a moment before he looked back over to the blonde still standing beside him…staring at him with a funny smile on his face. The ocean blue eyes were shining with a kind of emotion that sent a jolt of energy down Trowa's spine and the smile had upturned the corners of his lips, creating a slightly bemused expression on his beautiful face. The pale skin was infused with something that seemed to create a glowing look and his soft golden hair was framing his face, one strand dangling in front of his eyes…he looked stunning and Trowa had to tear his eyes away before he drowned in those teal eyes that were calling to him.

"Are…are you all right, Quatre?" Trowa asked with a cough, looking away as the blonde seemed to realize what he was doing and quickly looked down at the ground, biting his lip and turning red with embarrassment. There was something else though…a sadness that was threatening to spill over those beautiful eyes as Quatre looked back up and flashed a shaky smile before starting to walk away. It was barely perceptible, like a pinprick of blue on a sheet of black, but Trowa was able to catch it nonetheless…and before he could contemplate what it was he was doing, his hand wrapped around a warm wrist and tugged the mute blonde back to him.

They just looked at each other, one unable to say anything and the other unwilling, eyes attempting to discover what was hidden in the others. For months, Trowa had been unable to think of anyone but his mystery rescuer, the haunting voice and kind eyes gazing down at him always invading his thoughts. But now this silent blonde before him, who had eyes that mirrored those of his savior, was the only one he could see, staring up at him with a kind of encouragement that seemed desperate in a way. He could see the beginning of tears forming in those beautiful eyes and reached out to wipe them away as one fell, lingering on the warm cheek. Before he even knew what he was doing, Trowa started leaning forward, angling Quatre's face up to his, all thoughts of mystery saviors, unwanted suitors, and afternoon rides that had upset entire lives disappearing from his head as he could feel the blonde's warm breath on his lips.

Until, a minor earth shake caused the blonde to lose his footing and stumble into the taller prince, knocking him over and falling down beside him with a silent cry of surprise.

Trowa looked over at the marketplace, taking note that the only damages that the quake seemed to cause were a few broken vases and a couple of spilt bags; the people were already getting back to their feet and looking only a little shaken. He turned over and pushed himself to his feet, extending his arm and helping Quatre up as well trying to not look into the blonde's face…he couldn't believe he had almost kissed him! He looked up and shrugged his shoulders in the direction Duo had dragged Heero off into with a closed off expression…he couldn't afford to have any other close calls until he figured out what the hell he was feeling and for who.

"We'd better hurry…your friend and my friend may end up killing each other if we leave them alone to long," spinning around and walking down the path, not looking back to see if Quatre was following, wanting to miss the saddened and probably hurt expression he was causing the blonde.

Missing, also, a silent "wait" and an outreached arm that fell with an equally silent sigh.

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"Well," Dorothy said to herself, her soft voice betraying the annoyance she had at having to waste energy to stop a potentially disastrous situation. "Looks like the king's little boy isn't as innocent as everyone likes to think…he's a bit of minx when it suits his purposes." Dorothy brushed back an icy blonde lock away from her face with an inky tentacle as she scowled at the scrying bowl, showing a flickering image of two humans watching two human-like mermen at the beach. The scowl morphed into a cruel smile at the despondent look on the blonde prince's face as he glanced over at the human prince for a second before turning back to the ocean. It could be worse, she supposed, but the situation was quickly spinning out of her control.

And that just wouldn't do for her plans…she needed the Araaban prince in order to gain the scimitar of Rabban and render the king powerless…and once she had the scimitar then the Ozraleans could move and finally crush the capital of the Merfolk empire! All those filthy little fish folk would be their slaves to do with as they wished!

But, to do that, she needed the prince in her control…which meant that the human prince couldn't fall in love with him and ruin everything she had worked so hard for! Dorothy hadn't really expected Quatre to succeed, had hoped that the human would be too wrapped up in his imaginary rescuer to realize that he was standing right in front of him…but the blonde seemed to be better at the game than she had originally thought. It didn't help that Araaba's court mage had transformed the street trash merman into a human too, enabling a sort of communication to become established between the human prince and the Prince of the Sea.

No…something had to be done about this, and it had to be done now. Dorothy looked around her lair for ingredients for some sort of potion, knowing her powers were weakened after causing the earth tremor, but she stopped her search as her cold eyes focused on a seashell necklace beside her bed. She swam over and picked up the necklace, listening to the soft voice of the Araaban prince echo in her ear…it was so simple and devious she couldn't hope to come up with a better plan. She slipped on the necklace and gathered a few bottles of ingredients, dumping them all into her cauldron, creating a bright plume of pink smoke.

"Alex, Mueller!" Dorothy called out, smiling at the two Ozraleans who swam in and bowed low, ready to do as she wished. "I will be in need of a ride to the surface and later, the beaches of Bartona," waving a hand over her smoking spell with a cruel smile and her other hand grasped the necklace around her neck. "It's time that I take things into my own hands and tentacles for dear Grandfather's war."

After chanting a few harsh words, the pink smoke began to wrap around Dorothy's form, masking her features and tentacles. Her bright blonde hair turned a dark brown and shrank until it was only to her chin. Her features stayed feminine, but her voluptuous form narrowed into a more boyish figure, skin turning a creamy color as opposed to the almost white hue she normally had and her eyes going from ice blue to a soft teal color. The last to change was her high and harsh voice, morphing into a soft tenor as she laughed at her own cleverness…

Let's see if her dear little prince would be able to fight off the 'mystery savior' his prince was so enamored with.

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Sally was starting to feel more than just a little anxious as she waited for the princess Iria to meet with her for an update on her baby brother. It wasn't the news she had to give that she was worried about (although, knowing that the prince was on his eighth day was a little worrisome) but what she had seen on the borders of OZ and Araaba. True to her word, Sally had taken to spying on the treacherous tentacled-people to see if she could figure out a way to reverse Quatre's deal with the Sea Witch, but she had found nothing concerning that.

Instead, she had observed a growing army moving ever closer to their borders and an increase in combat techniques. Techniques that she recognized as dealing death blows to one who had Merfolk anatomy. As if the Merfolk Empire and King Rabban needed anymore problems right now…she supposed that Allah thought having their crown prince turned into a human and facing an existence of slavery not a big enough issue. She didn't care if that sounded blasphemous…she was beyond caring about propriety at this point.

Sally shook her head of her dark thoughts as she saw a golden head swim closer to her, the blue tail giving her away as Iria. She gave a friendly smile to the worried looking princess and waved her into her small cottage, shutting the door firmly behind her once the fellow healer had swum inside. "Hello, your Highness, I trust you're doing well."

"As well as I can under the circumstances," Iria responded with a gentle smile and laugh. "Father is so worried right now…and of course he's blaming himself, which isn't completely unjustified I suppose. But Sally, how's Quatre doing? Please tell me he's having some sort of luck with the human prince."

"Well, he was," Sally began, remembering what Wufei had told her after Duo had translated Quatre's gestures to him. "The prince almost kissed him today but then…then an earth quake, something like a tremor we deal with, happened and the prince has been unapproachable ever since. I'll give you three guesses who caused the quake, but you'll only need one."

"Dorothy," Iria hissed as she began to swim back and forth in front of Sally's small heated coral hearth. "I knew that awful witch would try to sabotage Quatre's chances somehow…she hates Father too much to want to help his son! Do we know why she even agreed to help my brother in the first place?"

"Well…I have a small theory that seems to collaborate with the increase in armies I've been seeing on our borders," Sally said with a contemplative look on her face. "Dorothy wants Quatre as a slave because then she has something to bargain with…with you're father to be precise. I think she's after his scimitar…Iria, I think we need to make preparations for an invasion…OZ's movements can mean nothing less and if your brother ends up as a bargaining chip and we lose the scimitar…we'll need a lot more than just Araaba to stop them!"

"I could always contact the Maguanacs," Iria said in a sad voice, terrified of the knowledge that her brother could end up becoming a reason for fighting a war. "They'll send all the aid they have but…I don't know if they'll make it here in time, Sally!"

"We don't have much of a choice," Sally said sadly as she thought of all those in Araaba would be wounded or killed in the upcoming days. "We have to prepare for the worst and pray that Allah will get that human to open his eyes before it's too late."

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"Come on, Quat," Duo chimed, attempting to bring the blonde out of his melancholy mood. Duo didn't know the specifics of what had happened between the prince and Quatre yesterday after he had dragged Heero off towards the beach to give them some alone time, but he could guess by the amount of blushing he would get after asking "certain" questions. At first, Duo had been ecstatic to learn that Quatre and the prince had almost kissed…but then that earth shake happened and Trowa had basically been avoiding Quatre all day. He could understand the prince needing to figure things out, but the tenth day of Quatre's enchantment was tomorrow…they were running out of time and didn't have time for double guessing!

That, and Duo was worried about interference…he didn't think that earth shake was natural, especially when he saw how surprised Heero looked when it happened. And, he had a pretty good guess at how could have caused it…he would kill that blonde bitch the next time he saw her! He and Quatre had worked to hard this entire time to let the prince and Heero get to know them, letting them both know that they offered nothing but themselves and expected nothing but love in return, and he'd be damned if he let her ruin it because she hated Merfolk!

"Everything will end up all right!" Duo continued, noticing another sad sigh escape Quatre's lips as he hugged a pillow to his chest, looking up and glaring slightly at the optimism in Duo's voice. It soon melted into a grateful expression and Duo didn't need to hear the 'thank-you' mouthed his way to see it. "No problem, Quat…I'm sure the prince will get his head out of his ass tomorrow, and if doesn't, then we'll just have to help him, now won't we?"

Quatre laughed soundlessly and flashed Duo a tired smile before yawning and snuggling down into the comforters, obviously ready for sleep. He mouthed Duo a good night, which Duo replied with a gentle hair ruffle and wish for safe dreams before closing his blue eyes and rifting off into sleep, hoping for a better day tomorrow. Duo's smile faltered and he quietly snuck out of the room…but he didn't head into his own chambers. Instead, he marched steadily down the halls towards the wing that Cathy had shown them where most of the habitants of the castle slept.

He had a talk with Wufei after Quatre left the beach, following Trowa back up to the castle with a sad little smile playing on his face and they both decided that this prince was going to need a little inside help to get through that thick head of his. He didn't want Quatre to know though…because as great as his best friend was, he had a tendency to place other's well-beings before his own and would no doubt disapprove of what Duo planned to do. Well, what his prince didn't know about, he couldn't forbid, as Wufei had so splendidly pointed out. Duo thought that maybe he and Sally were starting to have a bad influence on the mage.

So, with a resolute demeanor and great sense of direction, Duo found himself pounding on a wooden door and met with a pair of very annoyed dark blue eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with your friend?" Duo all but hissed at Heero, his fists clenching at his side as he narrowed his purple eyes into the intense, but now slightly taken-aback ones of the arms master. "You know what, don't answer that, just listen. I know that you don't really trust us, and frankly, I don't blame you. Neither Quat nor myself have really given you all that much information on us, and you haven't known us that long but believe me, it's not because we don't want to tell you and the prince. There are just some things that we can't tell you because, believe me, it's a little hard to understand.

"But, let me tell you now, and you know I don't lie, that Quatre truly is in love with the prince, and it's killing him how he's being treated now. I know that Trowa's all hung up on some other kid and stuff, but maybe he should open his eyes and focus on what's right in front of him! That kid isn't here…Quatre is. Please…punch some sense into him or whatever it is that you do to make him listen to you or else Quatre and I will have to leave and…and Trowa will probably never see my best friend again."

Heero was silent for a moment, just absorbing the utter truth that the violet-eyed youth he was so intrigued by had dumped on him…all the while trying to not focus on how attractive he looked when he was angry. Damn it, not now Yuy! "What makes you think I'll help you, Maxwell?" Heero asked after a moment, not really meaning to be rude, just honestly wondering what made the braided youth come to him.

"Because, you can see it as well as I can," Duo responded with a small smile that made the stoic soldier's heart flip in an unusual way. "Heero, please, just talk to Trowa and help him straighten out what's in his head. Maybe Quatre isn't this 'mystery' person that Trowa remembers rescuing him, but he is a kind-hearted person who would do anything, and I do mean anything, for him."

Heero was silent again as he contemplated what Duo said…only to find that he actually agreed with the baka. He nodded his head almost imperceptibly, but the braided man caught it and leapt forward to hug Heero tight, relinquishing him only to press his lips against Heero's surprised ones for a second and pull away smiling. "I knew I was able to trust you for a reason!" Duo said in a coy tone before stealing another kiss and bounding back down the hall, leaving a shocked Heero still trying to figure out what had just happened. Shaking his head and letting his lips curl into a soft smile, Heero slipped on his boots and headed for Trowa's quarters, no doubt to find the prince still up even at this late hour.

After a few minutes of walking, Heero's hunch turned out to be right, as he found Trowa playing the same tune on his flute that he had for the past few months on the grand balcony that overlooked the ocean. His eyes were closed, but Heero knew his friend long enough to know that there was a war waging underneath that seemingly calm façade. He waited patiently besides the railing until the prince was finished with the soft and haunting melody, and then even longer for the question to be asked.

"I don't know what to do, Heero," Trowa confessed in a rare show of trust and vulnerability that was hardly ever shown to people outside his family. Heero took in his face, noting how pale his friend looked and how wide his eyes were…maybe Duo was right. "I feel as if I should be waiting for this person who saved me to come, but maybe everyone was right all along…maybe I should just give up on him…or her I suppose as I couldn't really see the face."

"Hn," was all Heero replied.

"And now this with Quatre…I just don't know which part to listen to, my head or my heart."

"I had a very interesting visit tonight," Heero said after they had stood in companionable silence for a time. "And this braided bird told me that even though this person who saved you may have existed, he or she's not here now…but Quatre is and he loves you. I'm not telling you to be with him, only that I do believe his affection is genuine."

"What would you do, Heero?"

"The best way to live a good life is to follow your emotions, Trowa," Heero said in a soft voice, his dark blue eyes soft and his countenance gentle, an even rarer sight than the prince's emotional display. "Just trust what your emotions are telling you, and know that there's an unusual, but good person upstairs waiting for you to make up your mind." Heero clapped the banged man's shoulder before leaving; he knew that what he said would help Trowa in some way…and hopefully help out the mute blonde and his loud-mouthed companion that had inadvertently wormed their ways into his heart…for vastly different reasons, or course.

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Heero's words kept swimming around Trowa's head for another hour before he came to a decision. He looked down at the flute in his hand and smiled sadly at what he was letting go…but the sadness turned into something else as he looked up to the north tower where he knew Quatre was sleeping and tightened his hand around the flute. "I'm sorry, but I can't wait for you anymore…there's someone here who's waiting for me and I just can't ignore him. I think you'll understand…you seemed like you would, even though I barely know you. Thank you for everything you gave to me…good bye."

And with that, he chucked the flute over the railing and watched it splash into the sea. He looked back up at Quatre's window and smiled, turning away from the ocean until…until a haunting voice pulled him back. His green eyes widened and he peered over the edge of the balcony to espy who was singing…singing the song he had heard his rescuer sing to him. It was a waifish maiden with short brown hair and clothed in billowing fabrics that wrapped around her as the wind blew. Trowa narrowed his eyes down at the singing maiden, and at the glowing conch shell necklace she had about her neck.

The voice…it was the same voice he had heard those months ago! But…this was wrong, Trowa thought as he listened to her sing. She isn't right…

However, before he could complete that thought, yellow wisps of smoke floated up to him and his eyes, a beautiful green color, turned yellow.

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Just corrected some rather glaring mistakes…should be much better now! It was a scimitar, not a trident…I can't believe I forgot my own detail…

Okay…I'm REALLLLYYYY sorry for the wait. I hope no one's to angry with me! This one's stuck in my head now, so I think it'll be easier for me to finish it….this chapter just was hard for me to start. I hope to hear from everyone and I'll be sure to update much quicker than four months this time!

Osco

P.S. To those interested, I have another 3x4, 1x2 AU started called Candlelight. It's based off of my fav fairytale, so if you like adventure, lemons, and a kick ass but sensitive Quatre, check it out!


	9. Chapter 9

_**Surfacing (9/?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Nine: **_**A Sorceress Drove Them Apart**_

Quatre could hear a bird (a winged animal he had recently learned the name of) singing outside his window, but as he was much too tired, he rolled over and pressed his pillow over his ears. He could feel the sun through the curtains, but he really wasn't looking forward to getting up for his tenth and last day as a human, especially when his bed was so very comfortable. He felt warm yes, but it was a safe kind of warm that shielded all the horrible thoughts he was having away as long as he kept his eyes closed. He rolled over and blinked his eyes open carefully; it was quite bright in his room from the sun despite the curtains, and he let out a silent yawn before settling back down against the pillows.

He remembered Duo's words of comfort from last night, and while they had helped him fall asleep, now that he was waking up, all of his concerns were resurfacing. He had loved the past nine days he had been in Bartona, and he wanted nothing more than to stay here with all the people he had met. He got along well with all the staff of the manor, especially Hilde and some of the other kitchen maids, and he loved the morning chats they had. Well, he really didn't talk, just pantomimed but he got his point across just fine.

As proper and fatherly S was, Quatre found himself liking the man more and more each passing day. He would always make sure that he and Duo had everything they would need for the day, claiming that the prince was too distracted to be trusted to remember everything. He also didn't mind teaching Quatre the proper way to do things in Bartona, always patient and encouraging with no pity in his eyes that his charge couldn't speak. He also seemed to encourage Duo's habit of pranking and even helped out silently from time to time. He would always deny it of course, after all, pulling pranks on the arms master and royal guard wasn't proper by any means.

Cathy reminded Quatre so much of his own sister Iria and adopted sister Sally that he wouldn't feel so homesick after helping her in the garden or when she accompanied him on the tours of the kingdom Trowa took him on. Her eyes were among the kindest he had ever seen and he felt honored she seemed to like him enough to let him tag-a-long after her younger brother. It hurt to think about not seeing her everyday as he had for the past week and a half as it much as it hurt to not see his sisters for the time he had been on land.

And then there was Trowa, the mysterious prince who had captured Quatre's attention all those nights ago on a ship and later his heart on a beach. He was not foolish enough to believe that Dorothy the Sea Witch had decided to help him from the goodness of her heart, he had more sense than that, but the chance of being able to see the prince had overridden his common sense. It had seemed worth it to him, and had been up until today, the risk of losing his freedom in exchange for a chance to be with the human he wouldn't be able to have otherwise. He had let his hope rise the past few days, as it seemed the prince was starting to fall for him despite himself, but yesterday and the afternoon before that…it seemed like he was dealing with a different man.

Not to say that Quatre liked the prince any less because of this new obstacle, he knew better than that. Trowa was scared of something that a bond between himself and Quatre represented so he had retreated into himself…he was pushing Quatre away as a defense against some force that the blonde couldn't fight silently. He understood all too well what Trowa was doing, and that wasn't the problem…the problem was that he had until sunset that day to convince the prince to not be afraid of something happening now because of something that had happened a long time ago. The time constraints were not favorable towards Quatre and the blonde merman was not looking forward to a life as a slave to the Ozraleans for his choice.

Quatre gave a silent sigh as he propped himself onto his elbows, his blonde hair hanging in his eyes as he contemplated a way to try and get the prince to see how he felt about him…and that the mysterious rescuer and the silent foreigner were the same person. He knew Duo had been trying to subtly tell the arms master, Heero, something of that nature, but he didn't know how believable the story would be to the stoic brunet. He figured he could try and 'talk' with Cathy about this…but again, he didn't know how much a story about a 'merman turned human and missing his voice because of the transformation' would go over with the princess.

Quatre was saved from further contemplation by a very enthusiastic, braided young man that burst into his room with a huge grin from ear to ear. Duo let out an uncharacteristically high-pitched noise as he jumped onto Quatre's bed, squeezing the surprised blonde to him in a bone-crushing hug. When he pulled away, Quatre fixed the excited young man with a questioning expression, silently inquiring to the reason for the unusually awake Duo and the fervent hug. He was gifted with another loud laughing noise and another hug, this one hauling the still very shocked blonde to his feet.

"I heard some very _interesting _news this morning," Duo said. His voice had a sing-song quality to it, as if he was teasing Quatre with a toy and demanded good behavior to let the blonde play with it. "From Hilde and the rest of the kitchen ladies."

Quatre gave him a curious look, asking without words what it was and why he was so excited. He could feel himself getting excited just from Duo and he didn't even know what was going on; it was that infectious!

"Well, it seems like Mr. Anti-social Uni-bang has finally decided to get his head out of his ass," Duo said merrily. His violet eyes were twinkling with a happiness that wasn't just from an interesting piece of gossip, and that was what had Quatre so intrigued. "I heard from Mr. Anti-social Growls-a lot!" Honestly, Duo came up with the strangest nicknames for people, Quatre couldn't help but think.

Quatre still didn't exactly catch whatever drift Duo was trying and failing to send his way, so he just opted to look confused and wait for Duo to stop talking in code.

"Quat," Duo began with a smile as he grasped the blonde's hands in his own. "Hilde overheard S talking with Cathy earlier today…seems like your boy Uni-bang," he paused to laugh at the glare he received. "Okay, okay, Trowa! Anyway, it seems like Trowa's decided to get himself hitched this afternoon!"

A blank look was all that Duo received…maybe he wasn't being clear enough.

"He's getting married, Quat!" Duo said with bright smile, nodding his head encouragingly as Quatre's eyes widened and he opened and shut his mouth soundlessly, struck speechless despite his inability to speak. "Now you're getting it!"

Quatre continued his imitation of a beached fish for another moment before he directed his wide, blue eyes to his window, looking out over the sky as he attempted to digest the information he had just been given. It seemed crazy, out of character, and utterly outlandish to think that Trowa could so quickly abandon all those fears and uncertainties Quatre had sensed in him just yesterday…yet, here Duo was saying it was so. A part of his mind, the part that Quatre had ignored when the two Ozraleans when they had told him of the Sea Witch, was whispering that something wasn't entirely right with this scenario. It just didn't make sense…a wedding? Trowa had decided to get married? It was…it was so strange but still…it was amazing!

Quatre turned back to Duo, who was still sporting a shit-eating grin and looking like the catfish that ate the plankton, and flashed a smile as he silently let out a whoop of success. He jumped up to his feet and began hopping on the bed smiling so wide and mouthing "Yes!" to a laughing Duo. After he calmed down, relatively of course, his skin flushed and his teal eyes sparkling, he gave Duo a quick nod before hopping off the bed, slipping on some slippers, and flashing his still laughing friend one last smile as he ran out of the room. He let out a silent laugh as he heard Duo shout something out his door, something about knocking "Uni-bang" dead before calling out that he was going to hunt down Heero and bask in their success.

Quatre couldn't believe it…everything was coming together just like he had been dreaming for the past few months! He had an idea that maybe Duo said something to someone, and while he usually would have been annoyed at his mother-henish ways, right now he could've kissed the braided baka! He didn't know what he did, or much less how he did it, but somehow Trowa had seen what he was feeling, and who he was, without his voice! Now, he was finally going to be able to stay on land with all the new people he had met here and he would be…he would be with Trowa. That widened the smile on his face as he began to hurry down the stairs that led to the main foyer of the castle.

He paused at the base of the staircase for a moment, the thought of living the rest of his life on land and away from his family penetrating the happiness his mind had been encased in. The smile began to slip off his face as he remembered his sisters, Iria most of all, and how he would never be able to see them and tell them not to worry about him…even if that advice was wasted on their ears. He wouldn't be able to swim and see Sally…talk about what new pranks he and Duo had concocted to annoy courtiers like Venti and the soldiers like Zechs and Noin. Wufei…as much as had helped him and Duo this past week and a half, Quatre would only be able to see him from above the surface when he visited in secret, so not to attract unwanted attention that the Merfolk would be bound to generate among certain humans.

And…his father. As much as Quatre and his father butted heads over certain issues, he loved him and the thought of never seeing his father again, especially when they had last seen each other in anger…Quatre bit his lip as sadness filled him. His father, he was probably beating himself up right now about his and Duo's disappearance…was probably blaming himself for driving away his son for nothing more than a difference in beliefs. And Quatre…what about the guilt he was still feeling about betraying his father by going to the Sea Witch for help in his anger and desperation? He didn't want his and his father's relationship to be ended in that way…no he didn't want that.

But, he smiled again at the thought of Trowa…and how much he loved him. Maybe he wouldn't see his family in the way he had before, maybe he wouldn't be able to gossip with his sisters and Sally whenever he wanted, and maybe his pranks would have to be relegated to his new friends. Maybe Wufei would have to distance himself from himself and Duo for his own safety, but that didn't mean he would never see him again. And maybe…maybe he and his father would have these things that they had done that they would feel bad for, but that didn't mean he would never be able to reconcile with him. Maybe…maybe part of this change was part of what growing up was…learning that it was okay to change in your life and give up things that had been constants before for new people and experiences.

What he felt for Trowa, and what he thought the quiet prince would learn to feel for him once he learned about him and that it was okay to let yourself feel things, it had changed him in a way that he was seeing only just now. Before, he wouldn't have considered the thought that he and his father could reconcile…they were similar and to different at the same time…but now, now he thought differently. He would never say that he didn't need his father, his sisters, or any of his friends in Araaba, but he needed something else in his life that they couldn't give…something that Trowa could. He knew everyone would understand eventually, even his father given time, and he'd be sure to arrange some sort of meeting with everyone as soon as he could.

With that thought in his mind, and a butterfly feeling in his stomach, Quatre left the staircase and made his way through the hallways to the parlor room…where he heard voices coming from. He turned into the doorway, but stopped mid-step as he saw S and Cathy talking with the prince…and a waifish maiden clinging to his arm. He felt something grip his heart and his breathing quickened as he watched the brown-haired maiden look up adoringly at Trowa, his visible half of his face calm and serene…happy almost. He walked forward slowly, careful to not make a sound and be noticed right away, so he could hear what was being said…maybe this girl was just a cousin of some sort.

"…well, that's quite a tale, Madam," Quatre heard S saying to the pixie-faced girl, a confused look on his face of not in his polite tone. "To think that you've been forced to keep silent of your rescuing of Prince Trowa for so long due to an engagement! I am…I am happy you've been able to come forward and reveal yourself to us at last. I admit, I wasn't so sure of Trowa's tale at first, but it seems that we were all mistaken."

Quatre couldn't understand…they thought that this girl saved Trowa? No…no, he did…she was lying! Unless she magically could sprout fins and swam out five hundred yards, rescuing a similarly colored man as the prince, and then swam back to shore, she was making the whole thing up just to marry Trowa! And Trowa…Trowa seemed to believe her…completely forgetting about him the instant someone who claimed to be his "savior" came waltzing in. That, more than anything else, stung the heart-broken blonde as he continued to survey the scene.

"…all right!" Quatre heard her say…a pleasant tenor that was similar to his but spoken with a women's inflection…he supposed it could sound the same to a half-droned prince. "I never thought I'd be able to escape my father, but I slipped out in the dead of night and just made my way back to this beach! I am so happy the prince remembered me…I admit I knew I loved him the moment he looked up into my face that fateful day!"

"Yes…" Cathy said with a smile that looked forced and a tone that was too high to be real. "My brother can have that affect on people…I am sorry you went through so much hardship, Lady Dora, but Trowa…don't you think you're maybe rushing this? I mean, what about Qu---"

"We both wish to be married at sunset," was Trowa's smooth reply…shattering what was left of Quatre's hopes in an instant. "Not a moment later."

"Well," S replied hesitantly, giving a short bow before turning to exit the hall. "I shall have the ship prepared then, my Lord."

The steward paused mid-step as he noticed Quatre standing there, staring at the prince with such a confused and broken look, S wanted nothing more than to just whisk the poor boy away. Anyone in the castle would have to be blind to not see the love the mute blonde held for the prince. Cathy turned with the couple and gasped as she too noticed Quatre.

"My darling," the petite brunette named Dora exclaimed at Trowa, drawing Quatre's deep teal eyes to lock onto eyes of a similar shade. "Just who is this little dear? A friend of yours, perhaps?"

"No one…just a mute castaway," was all the prince responded, smiling softly at the blue-eyed girl and ignoring the tear that slipped out of the blonde's eye. The two made their way out of the hall, Trowa calling for S to follow him as he did, not sparing a glance backwards at the still blonde.

Cathy stepped towards Quatre, murmuring something that the blonde identified as sympathy, but he didn't want it. Trowa had just…he was nothing to him, just a burden who got in the way of his life. He smiled sadly at his own foolishness…to think that the prince would ever fall for a thing like him in only ten days! How stupid had he been? Too stupid, that's how much, and too caught up in feelings that no longer mattered to see the truth in his father's statements about humans. He saw Cathy reach out towards him, but he pulled away and ran from the hall and castle, heedless of her cries for him to stop and the worried looks he got along the way. He just wanted to get away from it, this horrible, raw pain inside his chest, and forget that the person he loved had chosen another, without any regards to him beyond a mute castaway, and had just walked out of his life…forever.

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Cathy couldn't believe her brother! She loved him yes, as his older sister she was obliged to, but right now she wanted nothing more than to smack the boy upside the head and scream what an idiot he was. It had killed her to see that look on Quatre's face, a look of complete shock and despair, and then to have her brother brush aside the blonde so callously! All the while that silly twit on his arm giggled and smiled condescendingly at the mute blonde, smarting over something before turning her attention back to Trowa…it all just made her want to start practicing her dagger throwing again, using her brother's _fiancé _as the target!

She didn't agree with her brother's decision, even if this girl seemed to be the one who he had seen as his rescuer, but there was nothing she could do beyond scold him and treat him rudely. S was in agreement with the red-head, but likewise, he couldn't do anything either. Even Heero, who Trowa always seemed to listen to even when he didn't want to, was being ignored and he had sought out Quatre's friend Duo to try and locate where the blonde had run off to. Heero had even shown his shock at Trowa's decision on his face, openly displaying emotions for all to see, before he faded into a death glare that promised pain for any that got in his way.

Cathy heaved a weary sigh as she continued to make preparations for the wedding, making sure the servants all had their things in order and that the arriving nobility were comfortable before moving to the Grand Wedding ship at noontide. She would give anything to just boycott this wedding and try to help find the heart-broken blonde, but she still loved her brother…even if he was making a huge mistake. Cathy just couldn't understand what it was about this rescuer that had bewitched her brother; so much to forget that he had been falling in love with another who didn't seem to care about his title or station in life. This girl, this Dora, Cathy wasn't so sure about, and she had trusted her instincts ever since the carriage ride as a girl that had ended in her parents' deaths. What she couldn't understand was why her brother wasn't listening to them now after he had for his entire life.

Cathy ran a hand through her deep, red hair as she began checking the spare bedrooms for any last minute trinkets or chores she had forgotten about, but paused as a voice drifted down the hall, drawing her attention towards a slightly opened door at the end of the hallway. The voice was quite haunting…but didn't sound like it was entirely whole, as if it didn't truly belong to whoever was using it. Despite the knowledge that she still had preparations to attend to, Cathy crept towards the room and the voice, making sure to keep silent all the while. When she reached the door, she peeked inside the room and gasped at what she found.

Inside the room, twirling in a white dress and bodice was Dora, smiling to herself and humming a song that abruptly went from sounds to words. Her face didn't look so kind anymore, and the maiden smirked to herself in the mirror as she let out another high-pitched laugh before climbing on top of her dressing table and vanity.

"_...and that's how it will end, and today I'll look divine!"_

"_Everything is working out to my ultimate design!"_

"_Soon I'll have that little merman and the ocean will be mine!"_(1)

Dora began to laugh again and tilted back the mirror, giving herself and her unnoticed visitor a glimpse of her true form. Cathy gasped as the reflection showed not short brown hair, but flowing platinum blond, not a boyish figure but one of curves, not soft teal eyes but cold ice-blue with wickedly pointed eyebrows, white skin instead of a healthy peach hue. But, as startling as all those changes were, what startled Cathy the most was the fact that this girl wasn't even human in her reflection, but rather a monster with monstrous tentacles and a dark demeanor. Cathy was about to turn and run away, but something held her…she noticed that both the girl Dora and her monstrous reflection both had on a necklace that had a single conch shell and was glowing an eerie yellow color.

Not able to stand it anymore, Cathy turned and fled from the hall, desperately needing to let Heero know what it was that she saw! Her brother was going to marry a monster, and for some reason, she felt as if the mute blonde and braided boy were somehow connected to all this. The woman had mentioned something about a plan and…and a merman?! What on Earth was she talking about…the Merfolk were just a legend, weren't they? There was something going on here, something important that she felt she had missed, and she needed to let hero know in hopes that he would be able to figure what was going on.

_Trowa,_ Cathy thought with a grim frown as she burst from the castle and made her way down to the beach. _Even though I'm mad at you for brushing off Quatre the way you did, I can't let you marry a monster! _A sentiment that she hoped she could make sense of before it was too late.

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It didn't take Heero long to find a giddy-looking Duo, and it took even less time to wipe that smile off the baka's face when he told him of Trowa's plans to marry a girl who claimed to be his rescuer. Duo's face, at first, seemed to not comprehend what he was being told, eyes wide and shocked at the news, but it quickly morphed into a furious scowl as he grit out "she's lying!" before turning to hurry out towards the ocean. Heero had called out to him, asking what he was doing and how he could be so sure that this woman was lying, only to be met with a furious pair of violet eyes that stared right into Heero's dark blue ones.

"I'm going to find my best friend," Duo said in a quiet whisper that was full of emotion. "And I know she's lying because I know who it was that rescued the prince and it wasn't some stupid, _human_ girl!"

Heero's eyes had widened comically, something that in a different scenario Duo would have poked fun at, as he computed what it was the braided young man had said. Duo knew who had rescued Trowa…and he knew it wasn't a human? How in the world could Duo know that unless he was with whoever the rescuer was in the first place? Heero looked back up and began to jog quickly after the braided man, determined to get some answers out of the two castaways once and for all. Duo had mentioned last night something to the extent that he and Quatre weren't exactly 'normal' but with everything that was going on, he felt like something worse than a blonde's feelings being hurt was happening here.

"Duo!" Heero shouted. He caught up with the violet-eyed young man and yanked his braid, earning a yelp and glare from the youth that were completely ignored by the stoic arms master. "I think it's about time that you started answering some questions about who you and Quatre are, how you both got here, and how you know this girl Trowa's marrying is a fraud."

"Heero," Duo replied with unshakeable purple eyes, a stubborn glint shining through as he pulled at his hair and attempted to get away. "I understand why you're confused, I really do, but right now, my best friend needs me and I can't let him down more than he already has been. Please…just let me find Quatre and I swear I'll tell you everything."

Heero wanted to deny the braided boy and demand he tell him everything right that instant, but…but he loosened his grip on the captive braid and found himself nodding in acquiesce. He always tried to trust what he was feeling, even if it was as mundane as a natural instinct, and right now he was feeling like he should, of all things, _trust_ this mysterious young man. Besides, he didn't feel right with Trowa's sudden decision when just last night, he had seemed wracked with indecision…only to seem to want the mute blonde in the end. He had known Trowa the better half of his life and never had the quiet prince made a decision so rashly before…and with so little regard to another's feelings who he felt for just as strongly.

Duo flashed the arms master a smile before taking his hand and leading them both along the beach…towards the private docks the royal siblings used for private excursions. Heero was about to ask how Duo knew where to go, and if Quatre was even here, when a balled up figure topped with blonde hair appeared on the end of the docks. He heard Duo suck in his breath before letting go of his hand and taking a step into the water, letting out a high-pitched sound that was similar to a dolphin's cry. Once he seemed satisfied with the strange sound, he walked back up the slope, Heero in tow again, and towards the end of the docks.

Quatre was sitting with his knees curled up and his arms wrapped around them, resting his head on top of his legs as he gazed out over the ocean. Heero could see the tear tracks on the blonde's cheeks, but no more tears fell…those eyes just locked onto the distant sea with a look of an inmate awaiting his death. He followed Duo as the braided boy walked over to the blonde and kneeled beside him and wrapped an arm around the slightly shaking blonde. Heero felt something clench in his chest at the sight of the broken blonde burying his face into Duo's shoulder and letting out what Heero knew to be a sob, even though he couldn't hear it. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to 'take care of' the slip of a girl who had paraded into the castle today, singing about the deeds she had done when…when there was no way the depth of her affections could even reach how much Quatre seemed to care about Trowa.

"Quatre rescued Trowa, didn't he?" Heero asked suddenly, not entirely sure how it was even possible for the blonde to do so but…but trusting his instinct and what it was telling him. "Somehow or another, Quatre was out there and saved him…which means he didn't always have no voice."

Duo and Quatre looked up at the collected and cold looking soldier with surprise, and when Duo smiled sheepishly and Quatre bit his lip and looked down, Heero knew he was right. "How did he manage to do it, Duo? To swim that kind of distance, you'd have to be a--"

"A fish?" Duo asked as he stood to his feet, blushing a bit while he finished Heero's thought and sentence. "Yeah…well, let's just say Quatre changed a whole lot more than most people do to be with the person he loves…the person, who I might add, just ripped my buddy's heart out with a spoon!"

"Are you saying that Quatre, and by proxy YOU, are some kind of fish people?"

"Well, MERmen is more precise, but yeah…that's what I'm saying."

Heero didn't say anything in reply, just stared at Duo as if he'd grown a third head and snuck a glance at Quatre who was looking over at ripples in the water. Ripples that were heading this way…Heero was having a strange enough day as it was! He pulled out his sword but put it down with another shocked expression (he had to muse it was slightly humorous he had shown more emotion today than he had in the past year) as a young man with dark black hair pulled into a ponytail an slanted dark eyes surfaced from the water. Those black eyes fixed Heero with an imperious look before he directed his attention to Quatre and gave an angry shout.

"Do not tell me that human was idiotic enough to choose another over you, Quatre! I did not spend the last ten days concealing yours, Duo's and my own whereabouts for you to be pushed aside for another! Rest assured, if that is the case, I will be telling your father what has happened so HE can take care of this imbecilic prince who doomed you to slavery!"

"Whoa, Wufei," Duo said in what was trying to be a placating tone. "Don't make Quat feel any worse about what's happened, all right! Because, believe me, after I'm through with that Uni-bang moron there won't be enough left for the king to take care of!"

The newly named Wufei turned his attention to Duo, and by proxy to Heero, and opened his mouth to say something most probably scathing when another voice, this one female, called out over the din and attracted everyone's attention to the running red-head. Cathy had an angry and terrified expression on her face as she called out for Heero stopping beside the arms master with wide eyes.

"Heero! It's Dora…that…that thing isn't human! She was singing to herself and looked in the mirror and then…and then she changed into something horrible and monstrous! She has tentacles for crying out loud, Heero! My brother is marrying a girl with tentacles!"

"TENTACLES?" Was what Heero, Duo, Wufei in the water, and Quatre (who mouthed it of course) all exclaimed as they turned to face her, Wufei using a wave to set himself down on the docks beside and now standing Quatre. Duo shared a look with Wufei behind a shaking and very angry looking Quatre before he let out a curse in a foreign, harsh tongue…still not bale to draw Cathy's surprised attention away from Wufei's black…fin.

"That bitch!" Duo said out loud after he swore up and down in his strange tongue. "I knew she would try something like this…tell me, Cathy, did she have a shell? A conch shaped shell?"

"Uh…uh, yes, she did," Cathy stuttered, still not able to fully tear her attention away from Wufei's fins until Quatre tried to run past them only to be stopped by Duo who tried to calm down the silently panicking blonde. "It was on a necklace around her neck…and it was glowing! Why? What is she and…what are all of you?!"

"Well," Wufei drawled with a narrow glare at both Heero and Cathy, sparing one concerned glance at Quatre who was trying to get Duo to let him go. "What this 'Dora' is would be a Sea Witch and to what myself, Duo, and Quatre are…well, we're Mermen."

To say the least, it wasn't a surprise to Heero when Cathy's eyes rolled back and she fainted.

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1. I know I practically lifted this straight form the movie, but it just seemed like something Dorothy would sing to herself.

Sorry again for the delay…but this time it wasn't nearly so bad! Plus, this chapter was long! We're almost to the end, kiddies! Please review and feed my starving muses who would be much more motivated to finish this story if they had food ! Until next time, thanks to everyone who reviews and please keep it up!

Osco


	10. Chapter 10

_**Surfacing (10/?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Ten: _But as the Sun Set,_**

Quatre didn't react when Cathy fainted to the ground, trusting Heero or Duo to catch her before she hit the docks. He couldn't, not when his entire being seemed to be shaking in red hot anger at the information the red-headed princess had revealed to them. A necklace shaped like a shell…that was glowing as she sang. Not to mention 'Dora' had tentacles…he couldn't believe he was such an idiot and had trusted that Witch to help him! And she…and she had done everything in her power to make sure he would fail! His eyes narrowed, darkening from their normal teal to a stormy blue and he turned around to face the ocean, hands clenched at his sides. He started to walk towards the end of the dock, fully prepared to swim over to where that damn wedding ship was docked and strangle the disguised Witch, but was stopped by a pair of steady arms around his shoulders.

"Quat…you can't just barge in there!" he heard Duo hiss in his ear as he began to struggle against his captor. "Dorothy will just deny anything we say and Trowa will agree with her because she's obviously enchanting him to do what she influences him to do! You won't be able to do a damn thing if you're locked in a dungeon!"

Quatre still his struggles as the truth of his braided friend's words sunk in…Dorothy had the upper hand right now, and if she was controlling Trowa, nothing he did or said would make nay difference. He let out a silent sigh, forcing back the familiar prickle behind his eyes as his frustration began to overwhelm him. Duo let go of his shoulders but kept a hand wrapped around his arm just in case.

"The baka, for once, is right, Quatre," the blonde heard Wufei say in a calm voice. Quatre turned his attention towards the black-finned merman with a defeated expression as those black eyes fixed on his own blue orbs. "What is worse, I believe that the Ozraleans are planning to attack Araaba once the sun sets on this very eve…Iria and Sally have sent out notices to the Maguanacs throughout the ocean but are not sure how many will arrive in time."

Quatre felt dizzy all of a sudden, collapsing on the dock as everything Wufei was saying, everything Duo had said, and everything he was feeling crashed into him. Everything that was happening was his fault. Everything! He had caused this entire mess because he had been too stupid to listen to his father's words, had been to stubborn to realize he was chasing after something impossible, and now everyone he cared about was paying for his stupidity. He had risked Wufei's and Duo's lives and well-beings when he made them chase him to Dorothy's palace. His family and people were now faced with war with the definite possibility of not having luck on their side. Duo had ended up falling for a human too, dooming himself just as Quatre had done. And…and Trowa was being controlled by Dorothy all because she wanted to get to him. He had done this…and by Allah he was going to make it right if it killed him!

He pushed himself back to his feet, ignoring the hands attempting to help him up and flashed the small company around him, including a very wet and very alert looking Cathy, a determined glare. He was going to fix this, everything, and he didn't care what he had to do in order to. He pointed to Wufei and gestured back out to the ocean before pointing to Cathy and directing her back to the castle, making a gesture that he hoped looked like 'stop her.' He hoped that Wufei or Duo understood what he was trying to convey, hoped that they would be able to discern what it was he was planning to do.

Luckily for him, Duo knew him pretty damn well and could interpret his otherwise confusing gestures.

"Good idea, Quat! Okay, Wuffers go back to Araaba and warn everyone, I mean EVERYONE what's going down. Cathy, you gotta head back to the ship before it sets sail in a few minutes and try to stall Miss 'Dora' until we get there. Heero, we gotta get Quatre here to that ship on ship that will go unnoticed and is fast enough to keep up with that big of a ship! Quatre, did I miss anything?"

Quatre shook his head, silently marveling at his violet-eyed companion's ability to completely understand what it was he was thinking. They obviously spent too much time around each other.

"Uh, yes you did!" Cathy exclaimed as she leapt to her feet with the grace of a cat. "How about the part when you explain to me what on Earth is going on and how the two of you are…are…"

"Merman?" Heero supplied with a blank expression as he gazed stonily back at the three young men on the dock before him.

"Yes! Now, I'm not doing anything until I get some God-damned answers as to what's going on and why my little brother is marrying a tentacled woman in less than four hours!"

Wufei gave an annoyed sigh before he canted his head towards Quatre in a deferent manner. "I'll leave this to you, Duo. Just tell them everything…we need all the help we can get. Quatre, I'm going to warn your father what is happening…get yourself to that boat as soon as can and stop that Witch!" He gave a terse nod before scooting back towards the edge and leaping into the water, splashing his fin once for good measure before disappearing below the rippling waves.

"Okay, listen up because we don't have a lot of time and I'm only going to tell this story once," Duo said. He took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on the two humans staring at him and Quatre, hoping this didn't take that long.

"All right, so this whole thing started when Blondie here decided to watch some exploding lights in the sky a few months back. I admit, I was pretty interested too, so me and Wuffers tagged along to make sure Quat didn't get hurt or anything. Long story short, Quatre saw Trowa, thought he was handsome, storm hit, saved prince, sang to him on the beach and fell head over fins in love with Uni-bang, and had to be physically dragged off into the water as Heero and S hurried over.

"So, a couple months pass and Quatre here is still has in love with Trowa as he was the night he rescued him, and it was starting to show. Problem is, it's forbidden for Merfolk to have contact with humans, much less fall in love with them, so Q's dad was pretty peeved when he found out and destroyed his entire collection of human stuff, which, by the way, I helped collect so I was pretty angry too! Anyway, Quatre was upset and decided to give into the bad fruit of temptation and allow a horrible Sea Witch to help him. Which she did, as you can see he no longer has fins but to rather short pair of legs, and he had ten days to prove to Trowa how much he loved him and to get the prince to return his feelings. Problem was, she took away his voice as payment, so Tro wouldn't recognize him as the merman who rescued and sang to him. Bigger problem, she made the deal so that if Q didn't get Trowa to fall in love with him, which I think he already was and was too much of a jackass to see it, he'd become a slave to the Ozralean Empire.

"Ozraleans are what you saw in the mirror, Cathy.

"Now, speed through the past couple of days as you were both here and know what happened, but now Trowa's been tricked by that Sea Witch, whose using Quatre's voice as her own. So, we've got to stop the wedding before the sun sets tonight, as today is Quatre's tenth day, so Quatre doesn't become a slave and plunge the entire ocean into chaos."

Duo took another deep breath as he finished, smiling sheepishly at the amazed, and slightly concerned, looks he was receiving for talking so fast and with very little air.

"But…why does this Sea Witch want Quatre to fail so badly?" Cathy asked. Not that she wanted the blonde to become a slave anymore than the next person, but she did wonder why this 'Dorothy' was going through all the trouble.

"Because, Quatre's father, Rabban, is the ruler of the entire ocean," Duo replied with a smirk.

Both Cathy and Heero exchanged glances before looking back at a very red looking Quatre. "So…so Quatre's like a prince?" Cathy asked quietly.

"Of the _entire_ ocean…yep. This, by the way, means that he out ranks Trowa. By a lot." Duo earned himself a slap upside the head from an embarrassed looking blonde for that remark.

Quatre looked back up to see Heero and Cathy looking at him with strange expressions on their faces. Well, Heero just glared a little softer than usual, but Cathy was looking at him like she was about to cry. He shot them a questioning look but it quickly morphed to surprise when Cathy stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his slim frame. She was muttering into his shoulder as she hugged him, something about how he was an idiot (like he needed her to tell him that) before pulling away and looking him in the eye.

"Quatre…why would you risk sacrificing your freedom, your life, for someone who didn't even know you beyond a voice and pretty eyes?" Cathy searched his face with all the care and confusion Iria had when he first told her about how he had fallen for a human. Quatre opened his mouth, to voice his own confusion over why he had decided to take such a big risk, but he shut it as nothing but air escaped. He looked down and heaved a deep sigh before looking back up, shrugging and giving the blue-eyed princess a sad smile.

Honestly, he couldn't tell her, or anyone for that matter, why he had made that deal with the Sea Witch. Looking back on it, it was rash, even for him, and it had landed him in the biggest problem. It was idiotic and stupid and a million over derogatory names that Quatre knew probably fit. It was careless and thoughtless and…and he probably would make the _same_ choice if he was faced with the same decision. Of course, he would make sure he never went to an Ozralean for help again, especially when the Witch harbored so much hatred for his people, but if given the chance to do the past week and a half over…he wouldn't change it.

He couldn't describe it in words, so he didn't mind that he couldn't speak, but this feeling that filled him whenever the green-eyed and quiet prince was near him made his rational mind fly out the window. It wasn't describable, and he supposed it wasn't probable that he feel this much towards a single person, but every time Trowa had looked at him with that secretive smile the past ten days, there it was. It would speed up his heartbeat, make his head rush, and cloud his eyes until all he could was smile back with everything he had. It was raw and frightening, like he was barely clinging onto an edge, but falling didn't seem nearly as bad as trying to escape. Quatre imagined that if he could ever drown, this _feeling _was what it would feel like: crushing and overwhelming but tempting to let the water fill your lungs and rush through your veins. It was dangerous and it had caused so much trouble for everyone he cared about but…

But he would never give it back. It was his, this feeling, and he didn't mind that it was dangerous. The only thing he regretted was trusting a woman who shouldn't have been trusted for nothing more than spite towards his father. Everything else…it was worth it. He loved Trowa with everything he had, right down to the marrow in his bones, and if sacrificing his freedom gave him a chance at that, than he was okay with the consequence. It was even okay if the prince didn't love him back…or at least, he told himself it would be. That feeling would still be his. He just wished…he just wished he had used his head and gone to a different source other than Dorothy…then only he would have to deal with those consequences.

Quatre was brought out of his thoughts by two warm and gentle hands on either side of his face, cradling his head and forcing him to meet the fiery eyes of Catherine Bloom. "You love him, don't you? So much that you'll…enough to…"

Cathy trailed off and stepped back, brushing away the water collecting on her lower eyelashes. She looked back up and fixed each of the young men with a shaky grin before focusing on Quatre. "Take _Pisces_ after the wedding ship sets sail…Heero can sail it. It's the fastest one we have and should be able to keep up with the ship. I'll try my best to keep my idiot of a brother from marrying an, ugh, an octopus." Cathy wrinkled her nose in distaste at the thought of her 'sister-to-be.'

Quatre shot the red-headed woman another confused glance before she turned to walk back towards the castle, frowning in confusion at her sudden shift in attitude. Hadn't she just been freaked out by the whole 'mermen' thing and then hadn't she been angry at him for dragging Trowa into the politics and fight between Merfolk and Ozraleans? His confusion melted into amusement when she flashed the blonde a cocky grin and gave him a mock salute before marching back up towards the manor. "Although I'm a little upset that you caused so much trouble Quatre, I think you'll be good for my brother…and you're much better looking than an octopus."

"Ozralean!" Duo shouted with a grin as she walked away from them before walking up to stand beside Heero and face Quatre. "So, how about Quat? Let's go and crash a wedding, steal the groom, and sail out into the sunset like a couple of good ol' bandits! That is, if Heero's willing to get us there."

"Hn."

"What about it, Heero? You believe the story yet or do you want another demonstration?"

Quatre watched Heero's eyes lock onto his before turning to stare into Duo's half amused and half serious face. The grim soldier didn't say anything for a few minutes, merely staring silently, before he reached out and brushed a strand of Duo's hair away from his eyes. Quatre felt something grip his heart when he saw Duo smile in return for the gesture, but he was determined to not le tit show…if one of them could have happiness, it deserved to be the braided merman for everything Quatre had put him through the past few days.

"I trust you," was all Heero said before grabbing both mermen's' arms and leading them away from the docks. "That, and I also don't want him marrying an octopus disguised as an annoying girl…there are enough of them running about as it is."

"Bad experience with one, Hee-chan?" Duo asked with a laugh. He had seen one of the noble's daughters, Dorlain (1) or something, giving Heero big goo-goo eyes a few nights past in the marketplace.

Duo's only response was a glare promising death if the topic was broached again and a sharp tug on the violet-eyed man's braid before latching back onto his arm.

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Wufei swam as he had never swam before, cutting through the water as a knife cuts through coral, not caring that he wasn't feeling at his strongest. He had to get to the palace…Rabban needed to know what was happening in case Dorothy's spell took hold. The dark eyes sorcerer knew what would happen then…the Witch would force Rabban to bargain for his son's life…and then they were all doomed. He knew Dorothy wanted the Scimitar, and he had a pretty good idea what she was going to do once she got it…and Wufei had no doubt in his mind that the King would surrender the weapon if it meant saving his son.

Clearing his head, Wufei refocused his thoughts on only getting to the palace, ignoring the burning pain in his lungs and how heavy his fins felt as they tore through the currents. He passed familiar landscapes after some time, and before he knew it, was speeding past palace guards who yelled at him in surprise and amazement. He didn't blame them…they had been looking for him, Duo and their prince for over a week without success…they had a right to be a little surprised at his sudden arrival.

Wufei didn't stop even as he swam through the massive pillars of Araaba's palace , speeding past a few of Quatre's older sisters who gasped when they caught a glimpse of him. He could hear a surprised Iria shout out at him but quickly begin to swim after him as he headed for the Throne room. He arrived there only moments later, completely out of breath and feeling as if he was about to collapse and go limp in the water, but managed to incline his head at a very shocked looking Rabban Winner. He heard and felt the ripples as Iria came to a halt beside him, shooting worried glances between the dark eyes sorcerer and her now angry looking father.

"WUFEI!!!"

"My Lord."

Rabban swam down off his throne, Scimitar in hand and halted directly in front of the smaller merman, glaring down at him with all the rage he could muster. "Don't you 'my Lord' me, Wufei! Where by Allah have you been, and where is my son?!"

"On land, my Lord," Wufei replied stiffly. He didn't back down from the now wrathful expression on the king's face, instead he calmly gazed back. Maybe he was still too tired to figure out he should be scared for his life at the moment. "He struck a deal with the Sea Witch ten days past to become human, sacrificing his voice in payment, and risking a life of slavery should he fail in getting the HUMAN prince he fell in love with to love him in return. Duo and I…we are guilty of helping him after he already struck the deal but…but you must understand, your Majesty, what he felt for the human wasn't going to be erased as easily as his collection was. I had a choice to either abandon him, or try to help him be happy and I chose. I don't think I would have chosen differently if given the chance and…and if you could see they way your son looks at this human, I think you would understand why.

"But, the Sea Witch is attempting to start a war, your Majesty, and is using Quatre as her trump card. She is manipulating the human prince and…and if it comes to the worse, we must be ready to face the Ozraleans."

Rabban merely stared at Wufei after his speech before looking over at his daughter standing beside the sorcerer. "Is…is what he's saying true, Iria?"

"It is, Papa," Iria said, swimming to grab her father's hand in sympathy. She was just as guilty as Wufei in this…she had hidden where her brother and Duo were along with Sally for the ten days as well. But she, like Wufei, felt no remorse for doing so. "I, well, Sally and I helped him as well. I know you hate humans, and maybe your right about most of them, but Quatre saw something in this human that Mama used to see in them. They're not all bad, and some are even good, and to try and brand them all as evil monsters and let them drown is just as wrong as them killing us as they capture fish. I wish you could have seen past the fact that Quatre was in love with a human and just see that he was in love…and that he was brave enough to risk everything for that love, even his life."

Rabban could tell who his daughter was referring to when she spoke of sacrifice…Quaterine had made a similar sacrifice for him once…and he had never really forgiven her for it. Her death had happened because of her own love for humans, and he had never forgiven the race for that loss. It hadn't been their fault intentionally he supposed, she had been dragged into the ship and crushed when she swam too close, saving her two twin daughters and baby son from getting caught in the currents, and had gotten caught by a stray net. It had been her idea to take the children close to the surface; she wanted Rabban to see what she saw when she looked at humans.

She had looked…so broken when he had got her free, tearing the ship apart in the process with his Scimitar and glad that the humans on board drowned for their sin. She had tried to make him promise that he wouldn't keep on hating humans when they weren't all bad creatures, but he had been upset to really listen.

When Quatre had begun to show interest in humans just as his mother had, he hadn't listened to his wife's final words either. He had listened to his anger and it had driven his son away…driven him so far that he had gone to the Sea Witch for someone to understand and help him. He had been so terrified that he would lose his youngest child to humans just as he had lost his beloved wife and queen, so terrified that he ignored those haunting words his wife had given him in dying. He hadn't listened to them then…but by Allah he was going to listen to them now. He locked eyes with Iria, before turning back to Wufei, Scimitar clutched tightly in his hands.

"Iria, summon Sally and make sure our people are safely locked away in the caves…send the guard and warriors to the city gates in case of an invasion. Wufei, lead me to where my son is…I will deal with the Witch myself."

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Cathy took a deep breath as she pushed open the door of 'Dora's' dressing room with a huge grin in place, attempting to seem friendly and benevolent to the…octopus woman disguised as a young girl. The ship had cast off three hours past and with the sun sinking ever lower in the sky, the orange light that bathed the sea and ship did nothing to allay the princess's worry. However, she had somehow kept her composure, welcoming the imposter and Witch with open arms as they all boarded the ship. She had done her best to stall the monster, hiding her bodice, redoing her hair multiple times, shouting at the attendant who came to check if the Lady Dora was ready that she was suffering from nervous butterflies. Now though…now it seemed like she had run out of excuses.

'Dora' was adjusting her veil with a self-satisfied glint in her eyes as an empty smile danced across her mouth. If Cathy wasn't so terrified of her, she'd punch her smile right off. She followed closely behind the girl trying to be friendly and welcoming as they started up towards the deck of the ship where Trowa and the guests were waiting. "So, you aren't nervous at all? Because, it's okay if you are after all! It's normal to get cold feet! My brother, I mean, he's handsome enough but he's dumb as those rocks he likes to sit on. Nothing going on up in that head of his! Probably nothing going on, well, in other places either! Not that I'm saying he's impotent but, well, would you have a problem if he is?"

"I love the prince," was what 'Dora' replied with. She had an adoring expression on her face that didn't reach her cold eyes. It was sad; she didn't do those brilliant eyes justice like Quatre did. She reached up and ran a finger along the sides of the conch shell at her neck. "And I cannot wait to be married and a part of the family!"

Cathy smiled weakly in return as they exited the ship and she heard music begin to pick up. All eyes had turned towards them, Cathy and another bridesmaid walking slightly in front of 'Dora' as the wedding march played, and Cathy took her lip between her teeth as she watched the sun sink ever closer to the horizon. She stood off to the side as she reached the altar and her brother, whispering to the old priest to recite the vows slow because her brother was a little deaf.

'Dora' arrived at the altar and stood demure and gracefully beside Trowa, earning many an adoring whisper that made Cathy's stomach churn. She could see S standing off to the side of her brother, holding an aggravated Ares back from, what it looked like, launching her lithe cat body at the smirking brunette. Cathy wanted nothing more than to let the lion cub at the Witch once the vows began…Cathy was feeling like she was about to hyperventilate! What could she do? She had to stall this wedding and…and…

She smiled to herself briefly before gasping loudly and collapsing to the ground.

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True to her word, the little boat Cathy had told them to take was quick and was bale to keep relatively close to the wedding ship. Quatre was trying to will the little boat to go faster, just as he tried to will the sun to slow down its descent. He could hear Duo and Heero talking the whole way, probably trying to distract him or themselves, but Quatre wasn't sure if it worked for them. It certainly didn't work for him. Duo was telling Heero about Araaba and their lives before everything happened, Heero asking quiet but intrigued questions occasionally as they sped after the ship for a few hours.

As the sun began to bathe the sea in a golden hue, the ship stopped moving, which Heero told them meant that the wedding had started. Quatre heard Duo inhale sharply and urge Heero to sail faster, no matter if it made them all nauseous. He did so, drawing the sail together in a way that enabled them to cut through the water, speeding over the waves in little leaps that made both mermen a little green in the face. Heero made a smart comment about Merfolk getting sea-sick, to which Duo replied with an insulting and inappropriate comment that made the stern arms master laugh lightly.

Quatre could hear the music as little _Pisces _pulled up alongside the massive wedding ship, and he immediately leapt out of the boat, not caring that the water was freezing to his human body, and started pulling himself up the side of the boat. He had done this with a fin…surely he could do this with legs. He heard another splash, followed by another, but he couldn't look down...he had to get up and onto the deck. Eventually, Quatre pulled himself over the side of the boat, arms and legs feeling like jelly and his hands full of splinters, but he pushed himself up and began running towards the music. He could hear two other sets of feet following him, but they were too far behind for him to wait.

He turned a corner and found himself standing on the main deck of the ship, a hundred people sitting between him and a blank looking Trowa at the altar. He heard a gasp and then people were all standing up, someone yelling to get a doctor and that the Princess Catherine had fainted. He couldn't see what happened next because of all the people surrounding the altar…

But there was a slip of a mask…

A pausing of the vows…

An alarmed shout…

A lion cub attacking the white dress of a girl who didn't look so nice anymore…

More alarmed shouting as a fainted princess leapt to her feet and made a grab for a necklace…

An enraged shriek…

A shattering sound of something being broken…

And a hauntingly beautiful voice floating towards a blonde young man as a green-eyed prince came back to himself.

Quatre looked on in amazement as the crowd parted to let a glowing yellow smoke that was resonating with a voice…his voice…through. It wrapped around his legs and torso, shocking wedding guests, disguised witches, and astonished princes alike, as it floated down his throat and he took a deep breath that ended with one clear, pure note. He breathed in deeply as the smoke disappeared, before letting out a full fledged laugh that wasn't so silent…but rather a clear tenor that echoed on the painfully quiet ship. Quatre let out another laugh, marveling in the sound of his own voice, as he wrapped a hand around his throat, smiling at one person staring at him from the altar.

"Quatre?" the blonde heard Trowa ask in a confused voice. The tall prince stepped down from the altar and made his way towards the smiling blonde, a bewildered look on his usually collected face.

"Last time I checked!" Quatre responded with a smile, not taking his teal eyes off the prince as he stepped closer to him.

"You can talk…" Trowa said as he took the blonde's hands in his own, gazing into those depthless blue eyes and realizing that this wonderfully beautiful young man that had washed up on his beach ten days ago was the same one who had washed _him_ up on his beach after nearly drowning…and he hadn't seen it until now. He ignored a screeching voice telling him to get away from Quatre, tilting the blonde's head up as strong hands made their way up is arms. "It's you, isn't it? It was you all along and I was too blind to see it."

"Trowa, I wanted to tell you but I couldn't…I love you and have from the moment I first saw you gaze over the ocean."

Trowa smiled, a true full blown smile and leaned in closer but he stopped when he heard a pained gasp come from the shorter man and an unearthly cackle of glee coming from the altar. Trowa looked up to see that the sun had set before looking back to the blonde who had fallen to the ground. Quatre let out another pained gasp as he felt his legs begin to fuse together, shredding the dark brown pants he had been wearing and leaving only scaled and teal colored fins behind. He looked up and gave Trowa a defeated and terrified look as his fins and tail curled as he sat back up.

"Quatre…what, what are you?" Trowa's voice came out low and shocked as he stared down at Quatre with wide green eyes.

"I'm sorry, Trowa! I wanted to tell you but…but I didn't know how and…and now I'm, we're--"

"You're too late, darling," came cold voice form behind them. Trowa whipped around to see the brown haired girl who he remembered, vaguely, as someone who he had almost married, suddenly change into a monstrous creature with tentacles and long blonde hair. The wedding guests gasped and scrambled away as she began to crawl towards the prince and fallen blonde. She had a hideous smile on her cruel face and her ice blue eyes were alive with a kind of manic cruelty as she fixed her gaze on Quatre. Trowa turned around and hefted the blonde, tail and all, into his arms and began to back away from the approaching…thing.

"Get away from him," Trowa hissed dangerously, setting Quatre down behind him and drawing his sword with fire in his green eyes. Sure, he was a little shocked over seeing Quatre change into some kind of fish, but he would be damned(2) if he let anyone get in between them again.

"Human," the blonde woman drawled in an equally dangerous voice. "Don't get in the way of a Witch and her prize…that boy belongs to me now."

Without further warning, a black tentacle swung out and sent Trowa flying into the opposite side of the ship. Quatre's eyes went wide and he tried to crawl towards the coughing prince as he pushed himself up, but was stopped when two equally powerful tentacles wrapped around his torso and dragged him away. He tried to break the suctioning grip the tentacles had on him, but it was no use and he felt a cold hand wrapping around his mouth. He heard Trowa, along with other voices he knew to be Cathy and Duo, shout out his name as Dorothy sat on the edge of the ship.

"Say so long, human prince!" Dorothy said with a high-pitched laugh as she leaned back off the edge of the ship.

The last thing Quatre saw were two terrified green eyes watching as Dorothy pulled him over the edge and into the sea.

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1. I'm not a Relena basher, but she does annoy me from time to time.

2. I think this is the really title of this chapter…it's the fourth time I used it!

Again, sorry for the delay…but this time it was only a month. I don't know where I got the time to update this…oh that's right! I don't have time, I just put off writing another essay for this! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The end is coming soon everyone! Please review and feed my starving muses…they've gone so long without food due to my lack of updates!

Osco


	11. Chapter 11

_**Surfacing (11/?)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Eleven: **_**And the Storm Hit,**_

It took a few seconds for Trowa's mind to catch up with what he had witnessed, leaving him to stand motionless as the sky grew darker with each passing moment. He could hear the guests on the ship still screaming and crying out in voices that were shocked and shaken, and he could vaguely comprehend another voice shouting out in denial as well…a voice that he recognized as his own. His body was sore, and he was sure that he had more than a few bruised ribs from the force that tentacle had knocked into him with. The stunned shock wore off though, replaced with the burning fact that after finding who had saved him from the storm, and subsequently given up nearly everything to be with him, had just been taken from him. Again. Wiping away the small trickle of blood from his spilt lip, Trowa bent down and picked up his sword and made his way over to the opposite of the ship.

He wasn't going to lose Quatre again and he didn't care if that meant fighting the sea _thing_ that had taken him.

Trowa looked over the edge of the ship for some sort of clue to where Quatre had gone, but all that was left were a few ripples on the surface. He swore loudly before he began to hoist himself over the edge, only to be pulled back by two pairs of arms. Trowa turned around to meet the collected blue eyes of his arms master and those of his sister, looking at him in worry and dread. He felt anger rise in his throat and struggled to break free but another pair of arms joined in and he was forced to listen to their words.

"Trowa, you can't try to go after Quatre," his sister said frantically. "That, that Witch will just drown you if you get to close!"

"Your sister is right," a voice said grimly. Trowa looked up into dark purple eyes framed with a chestnut braid…Quatre's friend Duo's face. "Dorothy isn't someone to be trifled with and I guarantee you that a human can't stand up to her."

"So you propose letting her get away with Quatre?" Trowa asked icily. His voice was quiet but what it lacked in volume it made up for with menace…he didn't care if this boy was Quatre's friend or not. He wasn't going to just sit here while the person he loved was in danger.

"He's not suggesting that, Trowa," Heero's calm baritone broke through. "But if you rush in without a plan, do you really think you'll help Quatre at all?"

Trowa didn't answer Heero's question, knowing that it was posed as more of a way to calm him down than as a query. The anger was still there but it stayed focused on him, and quickly the cold pit of despair wormed its way into the bottom of Trowa's stomach. This was his fault, as usual, and now he couldn't even do anything to help! His fists curled and his nails bit into his skin in his frustration and helplessness at the situation, and Trowa looked back up at the three with clouded eyes. His voice came out even quieter than before, nothing more than a whisper and as fleeting as the wind. "Then what do we do? I can't leave him…not again. I won't!"

"And we won't," Duo responded after sharing a look with Heero that was full of resignation. "More than your happiness is at stake now, Trowa Barton, and we don't have a lot of time to try and stay with the Witch. The sea's going to be at war within the hour and I don't even want to think about what will happen if Dorothy gets her tentacles on the Scimitar! It'll be best for everyone on this ship to get back to port and stay there and, if you want to help, you and Heero follow me out after Quatre."

'Are…are you--?"

"A merman like Quat? Yeah, I am," Duo completed for Trowa with a smirk. "But I don't have time to tell the story again; you'll have to get Heero to do it while you follow me. So, are you in or not?"

Trowa gave a curt nod to Duo after nodding briefly towards Heero. The meaning of the nod wasn't lost on his arms master who quickly rose and started to head off towards the small skiff he had sailed to the ship with the two mermens earlier. Trowa looked back at his sister and S who had joined her at her side. "S, I need you to get this ship back to Bartona and Cathy, you need to help him get everyone safe in the town. If things are as dangerous as Duo is suggesting, everyone is at risk tonight, but I can't be there to protect them."

S gave a small bow before disappearing into the throng of still panicked guests, leaving Trowa with his still worried looking sister. She grasped his hand and gave it a hard squeeze before wrapping him into a hug. "You promise me you'll be as careful as you can be?" she asked with a shaky voice. "No unnecessary risks or anything?"

"I'll try," Trowa murmured back.

"Good," Cathy said as she pulled back. Her eyes, although glassy with unshed tears, fixed on Trowa's and she brushed a stray piece of hair away from his face. "Get him back, baby brother; for both of your sakes."

He gave her a small smile, one barely perceptible to anyone who didn't know where to look for it, before stepping away from her and heading where Heero had gone to. He could hear her barking out orders for the guests to calm down and head inside until a voice from behind him called for him to stop. Trowa turned around to find Duo hurrying behind, his braid swing back and forth behind him. "Why didn't you explain what was happening when you first showed up at the castle?" The question sounded silly as soon as it was voiced, but Trowa could only wince at it, not take it back when Duo's gaze turned skeptical.

"Well," Duo began with a small frown. "Seeing as Quatre couldn't really speak to verify my story, it didn't seem like a good idea. Merfolk work very hard to stay legends to humans, so it made sense that if I said we were mermen that would have earned us both a ticket to the nearest dungeon. Honestly Trowa, would you have believed us if we told you the truth?"

Trowa didn't answer…mainly because he knew Duo was right. He had been to busy in finding the person who saved him, he had ignored everything else…including his rescuer. Not to mention, he had suspected the two as possible assassins as soon as the two declared they knew each other! He smirked cruelly at his own foolishness, wondering what on Earth Quatre had ever seen in his cold, hard, and unyielding manner to risk his freedom. Or, he guessed his freedom, he didn't know the specifics of what had happened, but the octopus-woman had hinted that much. He gave Duo a terse nod of understanding and began to head toward Heero once more. A slight touch on his elbow gave him pause though and he turned back to face Duo's face once more.

"We never lied," Duo began with quiet firmness, his voice radiating sincerity. "We just never told you everything. And most of all, _nothing_ concerning how Quat felt was exaggerated…that was entirely real. I'm not to sure about the why or how still, but ever since we were little, Quatre's been an excellent judge of character. Sure, he's had his slip-ups, like this whole deal with the Sea-Witch, but for the most part, he's right. Just because you can't see why he loves you doesn't mean it's not real…it just means _you _have to learn to see it."

Duo flashed Trowa a smile before climbing over the edge of the ship and shimmying down to where Heero waited with the skiff. Trowa nodded his head to no one other than himself as he allowed Duo's words to replace his own self-deprecating whisper. He couldn't afford to be distracted or full of doubt; Quatre couldn't afford it. He hefted his weight over the edge and dropped down to the skiff, landing like a cat would on the deck. He pushed himself upright and gave a nod to Heero, who responded with a grunt as he shoved the skiff off. Trowa looked back over at Duo and gave him a small, thankful nod. "Thank you."

"No prob, Tro!" Duo responded. His grin was wide and his eyes twinkled with a mischievous quality that made them appear an even deeper violet. "I'm pretty good with advice from time to time! Now, if you boys don't mind, I need you to sail this boat a few more paces away from the ship…and then stop."

"Why?" Heero asked, throwing a glance behind him at the braided boy as he did as instructed. "I thought we had to follow the Witch."

"We do," Duo responded, unlacing his shoes and tossing them aside. He continued to shed the rest of his clothing as he spoke, ignoring completely the widening gazes fixed upon him. "But, I can't do it from in here…I need to follow her trail in the ocean and I don't want to jump out of a moving boat."

"So, you're turning back as well?" Trowa heard Heero ask, surprised at the cloaked but still present emotion in his usually emotionless arms master's voice. Trowa turned back to Duo, making sure to keep his gaze only on the now very naked youth's face. There was a sad sort of resignation there, a look that Trowa could recognize all too well. It was the expression of someone giving up something important for a good that was more important than their own happiness. It didn't take a genius to figure out what kind of happiness Duo was sacrificing; Trowa cursed inwardly as he saw Heero's body tense up further at Duo's response.

"I have to, Heero. My home is about to be attacked, Quatre was just kidnapped by Dorothy, and Wufei can't track him down. I wish with everything I am that I didn't have to but…but there isn't anything—anyone else to stop her. I mean, why would I…why would I--?"

"I know," Heero interrupted with a softness Trowa could never remember hearing before.

Heero guided the skiff to a stop before giving a small nod to Duo, never turning from the sea to face the braided merman. Duo turned to the side of the boat and lifted his foot as if to jump off, but stopped and whirled around. He bounded up past Trowa and turned a slightly surprised looking Heero around before pressing his lips soundly to the blue-eyed warrior's. Trowa smiled softly as Heero's arms wrapped around the merman, turning away to give the two their good-bye with a little privacy. He glanced back briefly after a few moments to see the two had broken apart and Duo was whispering something against Heero's cheek, pausing only to press one last kiss before looking up into his eyes.

"Don't forget," Duo said softly before he turned and dove off the skiff. Trowa didn't question Heero on what Duo whispered to him, or what the stoic arms master had murmured to himself at the violet-eyed merman's last words; it wasn't his place. He did, however, let out a gasp right alongside Heero as a blur of purple dove out of the water and made its way over toward them. His alarm melted away when he saw Duo's face emerge from the water, the beginnings of his purple and scaled fins showing as he pulled part of his body out the ocean. He hooked his arms on the side of the skiff and gave the two a sheepish grin.

"So…uh…so, this is what I really look like I guess."

"Hn…you look the same, baka, just with tail."

"Well I know that! You just looked a little…startled."

"You have scales and fins, what did you expect?"

"So, you know how to find Quatre?" Trowa interjected. He didn't mind the playful, well half-playful, banter between the two, but they really needed to find Quatre.

"Oh yeah," Duo said, the mock sever look fading off his face, eyes going hard and serious while the pout on his lips thinned into a line. "Just follow me. I'll jump out the water so you can see which way to go…I don't know how close we'll be able to get though…I'm expecting some kind of showdown between Quat's dad and Dorothy."

"Why?" Trowa asked, still aware that he was out of the loop due to being under this 'Dorothy's' spell.

"Heero will tell you about it on the way," Duo answered shortly. "Follow me!" And with that, he dove back under and swam ahead, resurfacing some distance ahead. Heero and Trowa shared a look before heading off after the merman, Heero's low and monotonous voice the only thing punctuating the silence as they followed.

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Quatre struggled against the tentacles wrapped around his body, trying everything and anything he could think of the free himself from their suctioning hold. But, nothing seemed to work, and with every thrash and wriggle, the tentacles only gripped him tighter, causing him to gasp out in pain. His gaze drifted back up the ever growing distant surface…back up to where he had been dragged away from a horrified looking Trowa. Anger began to override his discomfort and pain, his mind ordering his limbs to ignore the pain as he began to try and get free again.

In the middle of his renewed struggles, Quatre was jerked forward violently and brought directly in front of an annoyed looking Dorothy. Her tentacles adjusted their hold on him, wrapping around each of his arms, one holding his fin still and another hooking around his waist. Quatre's lips pulled back in a snarl as he looked into Dorothy's now smug looking face. He swore at her in his native tongue, his eyes glaring into hers as if hoping to burst her entire frame into flames. Her tentacles tightened around him painfully in response, eliciting a groan from the blonde merman prince. He felt another tentacle grip his chin, forcing his face back up. His head jerked back in an effort to avoid the clammy and revolting feel of the underside of the tentacles, but it did no use.

"My dear," Dorothy started in an icy tone. "It's not in your best interest to anger me, and you constant, pathetic struggling is beginning to annoy more than amuse me. I understand your anger at losing our agreement, but a deal is a deal."

"He loves me!" Quatre responded harshly. His body, where it was not gripped by a tentacle, was shaking in barely suppressed rage and his eyes had darkened as they continued to stare into the Witch's face. "And I don't care about _your_ deal! You used me and did everything you could to prevent us from being together to try and gain leverage over my father!"

"My deal?" Dorothy asked with a laugh as she reached back and pulled out a golden piece of parchment. She unfurled it and held in front of Quatre so he could clearly see his own signature. "I do believe you signed this agreement as much as I created it which makes it _our _deal, darling. And, I frankly don't see his loving you of any relevance. The rule was that he had to kiss you by sunset on the tenth day, which he clearly didn't. Don't blame me for his timidity, Quatre dear!"

She rolled back up the parchment with a laugh as she jerked him back behind her and began swimming again. Quatre gazed back upwards as the anger melted away into bitter sadness. She was right, and he in his ignorance and stupidity hadn't even realized what the deal was really about until it was much too late. He let out a shaky breath that sounded much too similar to a sob for his liking and closed his eyes, letting only a few tears fall from his eyes and drift into the ocean. He didn't know how much longer he was dragged away for, his mind desperately trying to block out most of Dorothy's taunting and her lackeys', Alex and Mueller, cruel snickering.

"Does being a slave upset you, little prince?" Dorothy asked lightly, her direct question dragging Quatre out of his safe pocket of silence. "I'm sure it does, and I can't say as I blame you. But, maybe I'll ensure you're placed with Ozralean nobility, or maybe I'll even keep you myself. I do admit I've grown rather attached to you these past ten days, darling. How does that sound?"

"I'd rather die," Quatre responded with quiet conviction.

"Is that so? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I just don't see that happening, darling! But don't worry about it too much right now; I've got much greater prey than yourself in mi--"

"Dorothy! Stop!"

Quatre jerked to an abrupt stop, his head whipping forward and back painfully, but none of that registered with him as his eyes widened in recognition of that commanding voice. He turned his head to see the powerful figure of his father, dark eyes glaring wrathfully down at his captor and his grip on the giant Scimitar so tight his knuckles were white. Quatre looked behind to see Wufei and Sally floating with his father; both were dressed for battle and wearing identical grim expressions and hands linked together. Quatre heard both Alex and Mueller ready their own weapons beside Dorothy but that didn't concern him as much as the rumbling laugh coming from Dorothy a few moments later.

"Well, well, what a surprise," Dorothy said in a light tone as she looked at his father. "King Rabban, how nice to see you again! I'm sure by now you're aware of all that is in effect and I trust you're ready to begin, ah, _negotiations_, with myself."

"I will negotiate nothing with _you_," Rabban answered coldly. He hefted up the Scimitar and pointed it at Dorothy's head, the blade sparking blue in warning to not try him. "You will release my son and retreat from Araaban lands or else face me."

"Now, now, Rabban, let's not make rash decisions." Dorothy snapped her fingers and handed the gold parchment to Mueller while dragging Quatre in front of her, her other hand wrapping around the blonde's throat in a warning of her own. "We don't want anything unfortunate to happen to your only son, now do we? Now, take a look at that piece of parchment and see that your son is no longer in your possession, but rather in _mine_."

"Father, I'm so sorry," Quatre began before Dorothy's other hand wrapped around his mouth, effectively stopping any other words from escaping his lips. Quatre's teal eyes closed as he watched his father's face drain of color as he read the parchment, opening them to lock eyes with him sadly. He could say he didn't know what he had been doing, that he had been tricked, but that wouldn't have made any difference in the pain in his father's eyes. There had been no confusion in deciding to leave his father behind…none at all.

"Ah, so you see it too, King Rabban," Dorothy said aloud with a cruel grin. "The contract between your son and me is legal, binding and completely unbreakable…he chose of his own free will after all!" She let the grip on Quatre's mouth loose and summoned the parchment back to her. She smiled against the back of Quatre's neck before losing him of her tentacles, but he didn't have a chance to get over his surprise at being let go before the parchment faded into a golden light and swirled around him. He looked at the golden maelstrom surrounding him for a moment in confusion before a white, hot pain spread through his fin, gluing them to the ocean floor and causing a pained cry from Quatre.

"He's mine to do with what I will…even create a new addition to me garden if I want!" Quatre watched Dorothy lock eyes with his father just as the pain spread into his abdomen and then the rest of his body, his entire body shaking in pain as he felt his insides warped and shifted harshly. He could barely think coherently and he was also vaguely aware that the noises he heard in his ear were in fact his own cries, but he tried to listen to what was going on between his father and Dorothy.

"But, I've always been a girl whose had an eye for a bargain," Dorothy said huskily. "And I think I'd be willing to trade your son for someone even better…so really, it's up to you, Rabban. I rest his fate in your hands…but I suggest you decide quickly because he doesn't look very comfortable, does he?"

Quatre's cries faded into silent whimpers as his awareness began to shut down…he couldn't even feel his body anymore. He glanced down and saw a skinny, ugly form that he could only guess was him, his fins and tail transformed into a stumpy looking base and his torso and arms all spindly-looking. He could only imagine what his head must have looked like. He tried to shake his head at his father, tried to let him know that this was his fault and he deserved the punishment, but he couldn't move…he could only watch in horror as his father nodded solemnly and aimed his Scimitar at the gold piece of parchment. Quatre could see both Wufei and Sally try and stop him, but both were blocked by one of Dorothy's lackeys. His father's name replaced his and as quickly as the golden swirl surrounded him, it reversed and Quatre changed back, painfully, into his normal self.

Quatre felt exhausted but he forced his eyes to open, watching in mute horror as his father was surrounded by the swirl and changed into a hideous looking plant-creature before his eyes. It didn't take nearly as long for his father's transformation to complete and with a final flash of light, all that was left of King Rabban was a sad looking plant surrounded by a crown. Quatre shook his head wordlessly as he weakly swam his way over, ignoring Dorothy's cackles of glee as she placed the crown on her head and picked up the Scimitar. His father fixed his eyes on Quatre, eyes as brown and deep as ever, and Quatre looked down in shame at the guilt he found there. His father felt as if this was his fault…and he was looking at Quatre for forgiveness. He looked back up and reached out a hand, lightly petting his plant-like father on the head and gave him a small, sad smile.

"No, Abu," Quatre said softly. "I'm the one who caused this mess…not you. You have nothing to apologize to me for. This is my fault…"

"Finally!" Dorothy's voice interrupted. Quatre looked over and felt his blood boil at the sight of the Sea-Witch wearing a crown that didn't belong to her and wielding the Scimitar of the Ocean with no purpose other than her own. "It's mine, and Oz will finally rule the oceans!"

"And I'm going to fix it!" Quatre whispered fiercely to his father before swimming up and launching himself at Dorothy, exhaustion and pain forgotten. He didn't have any weapons, and logically he knew he wasn't making the best decision, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting that Scimitar away from the Witch. He managed a few good hits against Dorothy before the fact she was a Witch and had eight tentacles kicked in, knocking him against a stone wall soundly. He found the Scimitar pointing at him after he cleared his vision, a smirking Dorothy behind it and looking at him with a sort of manic fever.

"You know, I'm half tempted to keep you around, darling," Dorothy drawled as her tentacles pinned down his arms and fin, another wrapping around his throat. "I think you'd make a fabulous prize of war…and I'm sure having you will keep your many sisters in line…considering they survive the attack my kind are likely waging on them right now. Not to mention, think of how much more that would break your father's heart! To think, his only and precious baby boy a permanent slave of the Oz Empire, forced to do whatever his mistress wishes for the rest of his life! Why, I'd say that would just about crush him, don't you?"

Quatre didn't answer, at least not verbally, and hid is disgust as one of her hands trailed down his arm suggestively.. Instead, he decided to show his thoughts towards her idea by angling his head down and biting as hard as he could into the tentacle around his neck. He felt a grim satisfaction in the pit of his stomach at her agonized scream as he broke through flesh and tore a good chunk out of her tentacle, not caring about the rancid and slimy sludge that was smeared across his face or in his mouth. He spat his mouth clean and looked back up at a shocked Dorothy. "I wouldn't recommend it if you want to keep the rest of your tentacles in tact."

She hissed in fury and slammed him back against the rock, glaring at him through narrowed slits of ice. "You insolent little brat! I'll teach you not to—Ah!"

Whatever she was planning on saying was interrupted as a barb shot across her arms, spilling black blood into the water. Quatre looked up, following her gaze and he let out a half-surprised and half-ecstatic cry when he saw both Duo and…and Trowa in the water above! How they had found him, he could only guess, but Duo was helping Trowa aim a thin, shooting device in the water, his purple fins working hard to support the human's weight. They got off another shot, this one slicing across Dorothy's side, before Duo helped Trowa swim back up to the surface.

"After him, you imbeciles!" Dorothy screeched at Alex and Mueller, who were still engaged in combat with Sally and Wufei. After shooting a dart at Sally, hitting her deeply in the arm, Wufei abandoned his fight and rushed to her aid as she began to fall victim to whatever was laced on the dart. Both swam after Duo and the prince, cruel smiles on their faces and Quatre shook his head in denial.

"No! Trowa, Duo, look out!"

His warning came too late, Mueller tackling Duo just as Trowa reached the surface and Alex wrapping his tentacles around Trowa's arms and legs, dragging him back into the water. Quatre wriggled loose of the tentacles holding his arms down, glancing up to see Duo slapping a fin in Mueller's face before heading off to do the same to Alex. Duo had a hold of Trowa's body, which seemed to be growing weaker due to lack of oxygen, and Quatre looked on in fear as Dorothy aimed the Scimitar at his best friend and the human he loved.

"Say good-bye to your prince, darling," Dorothy said in a false-sweet voice, loosening her hold on Quatre enough for him to move in her concentration. He knew he couldn't stop her from shooting, so he did the only thing he could do; he pulled her hair down hard and forced her to shoot high. And she did shoot…high enough to zap dazed looking Alex and Mueller with the electric blue light and burst them into a hundred little pieces. Quatre heard Dorothy's gasp and watched her reach out and cradle some of the pieces in her hands for a moment before he swam up towards Duo and Trowa. He hooked his hands under Trowa's arms and helped haul him the rest of the way to the surface with Duo.

Duo gave Quatre a quick look over before he hugged him, allowing Heero to help pull a gasping Trowa into the small boat, placing his hands on either side of his face and studying his eyes closely. "You okay, Quatre?"

"As fine as I can be, considering," Quatre responded with a weak laugh. "Duo, she has the Scimitar!"

"Yeah, I noticed when she shot the damn thing at me and Tro!"

"And the Ozraleans are attacking Araaba!"

"Yep, knew that too."

"And my father was turned into one of those plant things!"

"That I missed," Duo said with an ashen expression. "So, pretty much, we're screwed until we get that Scimitar back…which means she's going to go after you once she's done mourning Dumb and Dumber's bits and pieces."

Quatre nodded, wondering what was going on in his friend's head as he looked back and forth between the boat and the ocean. He didn't wonder any more when Duo gave a short nod to Heero and Trowa, who both grabbed an arm and hauled an alarmed Quatre out of the water and into the boat. "Duo?! What are they--?!"

"They are going to get you far enough away from Dorothy while Fei, Sal, and I try to secure a path to Araaba's capitol for you. With the King out of commission, and all your sisters busy with defending the city, the only one left to face Dorothy is you, Quat."

"I know that, but why d--?"

"We'll be fine, Q," Duo interjected with a big grin. "You just wait a bit before doing your thing and we'll all do ours. Heero, get this boat as far away form here as you can. Trowa…keep him safe, all right?"

"I don't need to be kept safe!" Quatre began to yell back at his friend futilely, but Duo dived below the surface and disappeared from view. He felt one set of arms let go of him and Quatre instinctively curled his arms around the ones left holding him as the boat began to speed up and head towards the faraway shore. It felt so nice to just be held by Trowa after everything….so nice to just be able to smell his skin and touch his skin. He didn't like this plan of Duo's but he knew it was the only thing to do right now. He wouldn't be any good to anyone dead so it made sense for Duo to want to get him away but still…it felt like running away.

Quatre turned his thoughts away from everything that was happening when Trowa moved to crouch in front of him, one hand wrapped around his own and the other tracing the side of the blonde merman's face. Quatre squeezed the hand around his and reached up to brush a stray lock of auburn brown hair out of Trowa's face so he could see both brilliantly verdant eyes. The blonde merman heaved a heavy sigh as he reached down and wrapped his hands around Trowa's slightly larger ones. "I'm so sorry, Trowa," Quatre whispered softly.

One of Trowa's hands wriggled free of Quatre's and reached up to cup the blonde's cheek. Quatre could see the confusion in the green eyes, could see that Trowa somehow thought everything that had happened was his own fault, and plowed one before he could say anything. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this whole mess! I didn't…none of this was supposed to happen and look what has! Your life and kingdom are in danger, Duo and Heero were forced apart, and now a deranged mad-witch has the most powerful talisman in the ocean…all because of me!"

"You were fooled," Trowa's steady voice replied. Quatre assumed either Duo or Heero had informed the prince what the specifics of everything were, but that didn't make him feel any better. "Dorothy manipulated you and your feelings, you can't hold yourself accountable for her actions."

"Yes I can," Quatre responded quietly, dropping his gaze from Trowa's eyes to his fins. "I should have known better than to trust her. I shouldn't have let myself…I just should have thought everything through without my feelings blinding me!"

"Well," an amused sounding Heero spoke up from ahead. "Considering it was those misguided feelings that led you and Duo to Trowa and me, I can't begrudge you too much, Quatre."

Quatre looked over at the serious looking arms master at the helm in surprise, twisting his body as much as his tail and fins would allow. "What do you mean?"

"If you didn't notice, both Trowa and I were cold and detached before you two showed up. I can only guess for Trowa, but meeting Duo changed me in ways that can't be mimicked or reversed. He showed me things about me and him, and that not all emotions are distracting and unnecessary. Perhaps the circumstances you chose to come to Trowa were wrong, but the emotions that led you were not." Heero gave Quatre a quick look before he glanced back ahead, following the wake Duo was leaving for them.

"He's right," Trowa's voice continued softly. Quatre turned back to face the human prince, staring into those smiling green eyes as fingers laced with his own. One hand returned to his cheek, stroking the soft skin there gently as Trowa leaned in close. "Meeting you, both when you rescued me and when you came back, as changed me for the better. For so long, I've wrapped myself in the need to never be hurt by emotions again, I began to act like I didn't have any. I was so concentrated on making sure I never felt the pain I felt when mine and Cathy's parents were killed, I didn't allow myself to feel anything else.

"But then you came and changed everything. You resurfaced feelings in me I long thought gone, and you did it not because I was a prince, but because you cared about me, a human you barely even knew. You loved me…and you let me learn how to love you in return. If everything else that happened is because you came to me…well, then I'll share that blame with you."

Quatre couldn't respond; he was half shocked that Trowa had spoken so much and half shocked over the words he said. He felt a flicker of a smile cross his lips before he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to Trowa's softly for the first time. It wasn't hurried or terribly passionate, but that didn't make the kiss any less mind blowing to the blonde merman. He could taste the sea on Trowa's lips, he could feel home there. His head was light and dizzy as Trowa's hand traveled down his neck to wrap around his back, his own arms wrapping around Trowa's neck loosely. He couldn't erase his guilt over everything going on, but he could feel redemption in this kiss…that even though he had made terrible mistakes the man he loved still loved him.

Trowa pulled away slowly, placing one last kiss on Quatre's lips before smiling softly at him and brushing the blonde's bangs out of his teal eyes. Quatre searched Trowa's eyes before whispering "I love you" against his mouth, smiling despite the calamity going on around them. Their moment surrounded and shielded them from everything going on, wrapped up in each other's arms, Quatre's face buried in Trowa's neck, smiling at the whispered nothings Trowa was pressing into his hair. For that instant, only themselves existed, and the nasty fact that Trowa was a human and Quatre a merman didn't seem to matter.

Their moment didn't last though, the sudden jolt of the boat stopping knocking both out of their reverie and shifting their gazes from one another to Heero. Trowa rose up from beside Quatre and crossed the small skiff to where Heero was talking with, Quatre assumed, a surfaced Duo. Quatre couldn't move, his tail and fins much too heavy on the ship to cross even that short distance, but he did lean over the edge of the boat and looked down. Already, the sea was beginning to churn angrily, the sky blackening and the wind picking up speed. He knew it was only a matter of time before Dorothy found them…found him.

He knew why she was after him now. With his father incapacitated, he was the only one who the Scimitar would obey properly. Like his sisters, Dorothy would only be able to fully unlock the full power of the Scimitar if either he was dead, or he freely gave it to them. Sure, Dorothy would be able to do plenty of damage with the power she wielded now but…but if she got Quatre to give her the rest of the power, or she killed him and solved that problem, she could enslave the entire ocean to her will! That was the ultimate power of the Scimitar, the power to bend the sea, and all her inhabitants, to the wielder's utter will. It had been entrusted to the Winner house long ago by the Sea Gods of old, and now it was Quatre's responsibility as the Crown Prince of that house and the sea to get it back!

He looked over his shoulder and saw the worried looks one Heero's and Trowa's face, imagining the dire situation Duo was explaining to them. He couldn't explain why, but he just had a feeling that Araaba was already under siege…which meant that there was no safe passage for blonde to get to the palace. Quatre's teal eyes narrowed in determination and he splashed the water with his hand to get Duo's attention. He would not involve Trowa or Heero anymore than he already had…he would not allow either to be hurt if Dorothy targeted them to try and get him to relinquish control of the Scimitar to her. Duo popped his head out of the water several seconds later, a confused look on his face.

"What's up, Quat?"

Quatre looked back over and saw that Heero and Trowa were still talking to each other and another entity…maybe it was Wufei and Sally they were talking to. He looked back at Duo with a dangerous look in his ocean-colored eyes and with a small smirk. "Want to try and breach the palace with me?"

Duo looked back up at Heero and Trowa quickly and then grinned back, the smile, if possible, even more dangerous than the blonde's. "Ready when you are, buddy!"

Quatre nodded and hauled his body off the ship's floor, perching on the edge of the railing so he could slip into the water easily. He looked back over at Trowa, who had just looked back and was gazing at Quatre with something akin to horror. He looked like he was about to protest, drawing Heero's attention as well when he saw Duo, but he didn't get a chance.

"Whatever happens, I love you Trowa, don't ever forget that…or me," Quatre said with a small smile. He didn't wait to hear the response before he fell back into the water, surfacing one last time to look into those beautiful green eyes before diving below with Duo. He could hear Trowa's call for him to stay, and he could hear both Wufei's and Sally's yell for him to stop, but and Duo didn't listen. They swam further and further down, fins cutting through the water like quicksilver, ready to try and get to the palace.

As Duo and Quatre swam closer to the besieged city of Araaba, the blonde could see the sparks of war sprinkled all over the city, the cries of battle and merfolk civilians floating into his ears. He felt a weight in his stomach as he heard those cries, knowing that they were being made because of his own selfishness. Instead of letting that guilt overwhelm him, however, Quatre let their power flow through him, giving him strength and conviction to put things right. He knew in his soul that the likeability he would succeed against Dorothy and the Scimitar were slim, and even less likely he would survive, but he focused on those cries. He let them drown out his fears and his regrets. He would do whatever it took to make things right again, for both merfolk and humans.

He and Duo slowed as they drew nearer to the city, they needed to sneak into the capitol without being spotted. Dorothy couldn't know that Quatre was here already, and neither he nor Duo had weapons on them. The two mermen crouched behind a large bolder on the outer limits of the city, as far away from the battle as they could get. Duo looked over with calculating violet eyes at his blonde companion, and silently motioned where to go. Quatre thought for a moment, trying to remember a path into the city that most didn't know about…one that was hidden. The answer came to him as he focused his gaze down, focusing on some scrap of humankind that was settled in the seaweed.

"The grotto!" Quatre whispered excitedly. "Duo, our grotto leads into the palace and no one knows about it! If we can just get there, we can get straight into the palace!"

Duo nodded excitedly, grabbing Quatre's wrist and started to lead him, stealthily, through the winding rocks that surrounded Araaba. Quatre didn't argue, trusting Duo's uncanny sense of direction unquestionably, but he did keep a look out for a rogue soldier, merman or Ozralean. It didn't take them as long as they thought it would to get to the destroyed grotto, most of the battles going on the east and north sides of the city. Their little grotto was silent, and the two started the long swim back to the palace. They were careful to avoid gaps on the path that exposed them to the city when they could, and swimming as soft as they could to avoid making ripples and bubbles. Before they knew it, Quatre was quietly unlocking the back gates of the palace and both were swimming inside. Duo swam off to the armory while Quatre swam to the throne room, hoping his father's other scimitar was there…it wasn't the same as the Scimitar Dorothy was using, but Quatre hoped it would at least hold its own.

He swam into the empty throne room, trying to ignore the absolute feeling of dread and fear well up in his stomach as he looked at his father's empty throne. He swam to the weapons stand beside the throne and breathed a sigh of relief as he hefted the scimitar by its jeweled pommel. Looking at the large blade, Quatre felt a pang of inadequacy holding it. He had been taught how to use the scimitar, and he wasn't that bad, but holding his father's weapon, he couldn't help feeling small. It was true he was small for a merman, but it had never bothered him before, his speed and strategy usually making up what he lacked in size. But this time…Dorothy was just as fast and cunning as he was, and she was at least as tall as his father. Not to mention she had eight damn tentacles to boot! Quatre took a deep breath and pushed the negative thoughts out of his head as much as he could. They wouldn't help him, he told himself, even if they were true, they wouldn't help him.

Quatre didn't bother swimming after Duo in the armory, hoping his friend, his brother, didn't get to mad at him when he found Quatre went off to face Dorothy on his own. He hoped not, but Duo was as stubborn as he was sometimes. Quatre held the scimitar in his hand as he swam out of the palace, ignoring the gasps and screams of amazement from below him. He couldn't blame them; he had been missing for over a week. He swam until he was skimming the surface, heedless of how stormy the sea was on the surface, swam as fast as his tired and weary body could take him.

It didn't take long before he found what he was looking for, the malevolent black cloud surrounding Dorothy's powerful form as a storm cloud surrounds a bolt of lightning. He gripped the scimitar with both hands and waited for her to spot him, glaring balefully at her when her ice blue eyes locked with his teal ones.

"Why hello there, darling."

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Um…I'm really, REALLY sorry for the delay in update! I have no real excuse, but I hope the length of this chapter kind of makes up for it! Up next (which WILL be soon) we get the big showdown between our favorite blonde and Dorothy! Thank you all for the reviews! Over a hundred….just thank you! Please do me the favor and review! My muses live off them and have been starving for months because of my abysmal updating! Until next time!

Osco


	12. Chapter 12

_**Surfacing (12/14)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Twelve: **_**Their Love Conquered All**_

Duo was feeling sick to his stomach as he swam back towards the surface where he and Quatre had left the two humans. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Quatre wasn't going to be longer following him towards the main battle lines after they parted ways in the Sea palace. He had been so angry and worried for the blonde when he discovered halfway through his search of the armory that the prince should have come and retrieved him, and that anger and worry multiplied when he followed the conclusion that if Quatre wasn't meeting him, he was going to face Dorothy. Alone. Duo wanted to strangle the stubborn fool but seeing as he had no idea where Quatre had headed off to, his consuming worry and anger fixed themselves in his belly, rolling and writhing endlessly as he swam back to Heero and Trowa.

He had left most of the armor behind, favoring speed over defensive protection, a slightly curved blade strapped to his waste and a bow with poison darts strapped to his back, neither weapon hindering his movements as he sliced through the waters. From his higher vantage point, the braided-merman could see glimpses of the battle going on along Araaba's borders. The Ozraleans were being held off to be sure, the famous Maguanac warriors weren't named so lightly and weren't defeated easily, but Duo knew that would quickly change if Dorothy joined the battle. Duo knew that was why Quatre left to confront her himself, to give his people more time to evacuate and keep Dorothy away from the capitol, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Duo tore his gaze away from his home and focused back on the churning waters above him, knowing he had to do something to help Quatre and hoping the two humans could help him. He kicked his fins faster and broke the surface with a dramatic splash, eyes snapping open once he leveled out. He had been prepared for a stormy scene on the surface, knowing that Dorothy wouldn't waste anytime showing off her stolen power, but he honestly hadn't been expecting so much! The rain was falling in heavy drops, the wind was lashing and spinning violently, the waves rising and falling in huge swells that would make even the stoutest merfolk fear their watery home.

Shielding his violet eyes from the fierce rain, Duo looked back and forth across the water, hoping to espy some glimpse of Trowa and Heero in their small skiff. For one horrible moment, Duo thought that maybe the storm proved to powerful against the small boat and her two crew, but he let out a relieved breath he hadn't known he'd been holding when he heard a very familiar voice calling out his name. Irate, gruff, and condescending…Duo would recognize Wufei's voice anywhere. The braided merman smiled as he whirled around and headed towards the voice, happy Wufei, and perhaps Sally, had stayed with Heero and Trowa after he and Quatre made their getaway.

"Wuffers!" he shouted across the wind. He could see the black-eyed merman now; a scowl adorning his face and all, he was followed closely by Sally and a trailing boat.

"Baka, how many times have I told you not to call me that?!" Wufei growled. Duo's smile didn't waver though; he could see the sheer relief in the harsh sorcerer's face that he at least was unharmed. Wufei's gaze shifted around Duo, looking for a head of blonde hair Duo knew he wouldn't find, as the boat and Sally pulled up beside them. Duo's gaze shifted upwards to make sure Heero and Trowa were all right, slightly surprised to see that beside from being a little wet, neither were too bad. As of sensing his probing gaze and forthcoming question, Wufei waved a hand dismissively. "I cast a spell to shield the boat from the storm a bit, now Duo, where's Quatre?"

Duo's smile fell and he looked back at Wufei. "He ditched me, as soon as we got to the castle. I think he went off to face Dorothy."

Duo's explanation was met with varying cries of anger, surprise, and livid panic (the latter of course coming from a distressed looking Trowa) and the braided merman just nodded his head as if to say he too thought Quatre was being a monumentally idiotic martyr.

"What by Allah does he think he's doing?" Wufei asked harshly. He ran a hand through his dark hair, curling it into a fist and slamming it into the water, leaving it to be grasped by an equally mad and worried looking Sally. "He _knows_ the kind of power that demon wields, and with the Scimitar in her hands, he's practically asking to be killed by facing her alone!"

"I agree," Sally said with a fierce look in her eyes, looking at Duo. "I swear, if he makes it out of this, I'm going to kill him! I can't believe that--"

"Maybe you shouldn't doubt him so easily," a monotone voice interjected. Duo, as well as everyone else present, shifted their eyes to look at a relatively calm looking Heero at the skiff's controls. Duo could feel his stomach do a small flip as he looked at Heero's deep blue eyes, messy brown hair, and utterly unaffected stance. "He's not weak and smarter than most. Have faith that he knows what he's doing."

It felt strange to Duo, and he assumed to Wufei and Sally as well, to have Heero, a human who had only known Quatre for a grand total of ten days, as the one who was telling them to believe in their prince and friend. He knew it should have been reversed, that it should be him and Wufei, mermen who had known the blonde prince since he was a child, reassuring these two humans that Quatre's strength wasn't affected by his small stature. He didn't think of Quatre as weak, never had, and he still didn't…but he was already counting on Dorothy winning before he knew what cards his best friend held. Sure, Quatre had never been very intimidating looking or have that burly physique that most warriors had, but he was quick. He was smart. And he was without a doubt utterly pissed and determined to stop Dorothy. For someone who had known Quatre his whole life, Duo knew that when you combined those different components together, the little blonde could be one mean son of a bitch that was a force to be reckoned with.

"Heero's right," Trowa said quietly, breaking Duo out of his thoughts. "Sitting here and doubting him won't help. We can still worry about him, but I'm sure we can be more helpful to him if we tried to figure out a way to help."

"The ocean's huge, Tro," Duo pointed out logically. "We have no idea where to start looking for where Quatre could have gone to meet with Dorothy and he's one fast swimmer…he could be anywhere."

"It's more than that anyway," Sally said, laying a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. Wufei looked mad at both himself for his doubt in his friend and with Heero for his words, and she didn't want him to snap out why exactly he and herself were so concerned. "Dorothy has the Scimitar, but she doesn't have full control over it. She took it from King Rabban after he exchanged himself for Quatre, but she can't fully unlock its powers."

"This isn't at full power?" Trowa gestured, waving his hand at the surrounding squall with a good amount of incredulity.

"Unfortunately, no," Duo said with a sheepish grin. "That Scimitar can do a whole lot more…like create hurricanes strong enough to cross over onto land and waves big enough to topple mountains. And it has the power to control every living thing in the ocean, bend their will to its wielder's own."

"But, she can't do that yet," Sally interjected. "Because…the Scimitar is in the control of another. And that someone is Quatre."

"What?" both Heero and Trowa asked, with nearly identical looks of frustration on their usually unexpressive faces.

"Well," Duo said with a shrug as he pulled himself up onto the skiff. "The Scimitar was automatically transferred to Quat after Rabban was defeated, because he's the Prince of the Ocean and all. Unless he relinquishes the Scimitar's power to Dorothy, or she kills him, he is the Scimitar's master…at least until the King is back to normal. So, even though Quat's trying to protect us and Araaba by facing her directly, if she kills him she'll control the Scimitar and we're all pretty much screwed."

"I don't think she'll kill him," Sally said thoughtfully. Her face looked blank and her eyes remembering something from earlier; she gave a shiver as she refocused her mind on the present. "I think she's…attracted to him and wants to keep him as a way to keep his sisters and the Maguanacs in line. But, she could force him to give up control if she threatens someone he cares about…"

As she finished, nearly every pair of eyes turned towards Trowa, who looked simply murderous in his one visible green eye. "She's not going to be 'keeping' him for anything," he said with quiet conviction. He didn't seem concerned in the slightest that Sally had pretty much named him the prime target for a murdering, power-crazy octopus woman, only that _his _Quatre was being ogled by someone else.

It was something Duo would have found adorable in different circumstances. Sadly, it was neither the time, nor the circumstances for anything adorable so Duo merely found it annoyingly stubborn and foolish that Trowa wasn't taking the very real threat on his life seriously. Duo could see Wufei and Heero had similar opinions on the matter, and though Sally was probably inwardly gushing, she too looked outwardly unaffected. Not that she would admit to even inwardly thinking Trowa disregarding his safety for Quatre's well-being was remotely adorable, mind you.

"Well, as lovely a sentiment as that is, Tro," Duo responded lightly, eyes carrying the steely quality his voice did not. "That doesn't change the fact that the Sea Witch is going to be trying her damnedest to get a hold of you and bend Quatre to her nasty will. This pretty much means that we have to stick around and protect your skinny ass and let Quat do his own thing."

Trowa did not look pleased and was about to voice his obvious displeasure when Wufei interrupted him with a sharp look and no-nonsense tone. "You should recall your words earlier when you supported your friend's opinion of Quatre. Do not belittle his honorable decision to protect you and his home by doubting him now. I was wrong to but I will not any longer. You should believe…like he obviously does, for some unknown reason, in you."

Trowa looked down for a moment, his face completely shadowed by his shock of auburn hair for a brief moment, and then focused both his green eyes out over the stormy sea. He gave a barely perceptible nod, displaying is reluctant agreement to the merman's words, before he looked back at Duo. "Fine then, but there must be something more we can do for Quatre."

Before Duo could give an answer, a wicked flash of lightning lit up the sky and the sea tossed and turned fiercely, shaking even the spell-protected skiff, humans, and merfolk. The winds screeched to a crescendo and a huge cyclone of water exploded from below, spinning and whirling above the surface, shocking and frightening all who looked upon it. More cyclones exploded to the surface, lightning crackling around them ominously and the black clouds poured even heavier tear drops from the sky. And on top of the first and largest cyclone were two figures, both blonde and battling, one surrounded by tentacles and the other holding only a scimitar. Duo blinked and looked back over at Trowa from where he'd been knocked into the boat, taking in the panicked look in those expressive verdant eyes.

"Yeah," Duo said shakily over the wind. "Stay out of his way."

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Considering his vast disadvantage in the situation, most pressing in size, power, and quality of weapon, Quatre felt he was doing a great job in maintaining calm in front of Dorothy. He gripped his scimitar tighter and didn't respond to her greeting, opting to glare at her instead as she swam back and forth in front of him, the way a shark would circle its prey. All traces of humor had vanished from her face, he knew partly because she couldn't control all the power of the Scimitar and the fact that he had orchestrated the death of her two lackeys. He took a deep, calming breath and forced his eyes away from his father's Scimitar, the weapon glowing an angry white, and only on the Sea Witch.

Dorothy certainly looked like some sort of Sea God, long hair fanned out around her like some sick imitation of a halo and ice blue eyes burning with rage. She seemed surrounded by an inky black cloud, and with her tentacles all whirring around her body like whips, she sure painted an image. When you added in the Scimitar gripped in her right hand, she was a strikingly intimidating figure. She smiled cruelly and waved a hand, sending a deadly surge of electricity through the water towards Quatre, the bolt cackling and reflecting in his wide, blue eyes. Quatre dove quickly and weaved around the bolt before righting himself, bringing up his scimitar into a defensive position he had learned from Rashid all those years ago.

"Quatre, darling," Dorothy drawled. She began to circle around him but made no other movements to attack, seemingly wanting to speak her mind before she battled. "I really don't want to have to get rid of something so…pretty, but if you don't play nice I may just have to. My patience is just about through with you."

"Really? Was it when you killed you two morons or when you realized you couldn't control the Scimitar did that happen?

Dorothy's eyes narrowed dangerously as she fixed her gaze on the merman Prince. "Give me control of the Scimitar and I'll be inclined to leave your precious city in one piece. Think about your options, dear. Maybe, if you play nice after I'm crowned Queen of the Oceans, I'll even let you visit your human prince… does that sound all that bad?"

Quatre didn't respond, but he figured his answer was received after he lunged at the Sea Witch and nicked her on the shoulder before darting through her tentacles and emerging untouched on the other side. She let out a screech of fury before she rounded on him, tentacles whipping around wildly and swinging down the Scimitar in a powerful arch that made the oceans above crash. He twisted and avoided the blade, but was caught in the ensuing wave, flung sideways into a rock with a resounding thud. She looked manic as she advanced on him and brought the Scimitar again, but he rolled away quickly and swam through her tentacles, hacking one off partially before turning around to face her again.

Now, it was true that Quatre wasn't the largest merman in Araaba, and it was true that he had grown up on the slender side, but it was because of this that he usually won his battles. You see, what he lacked in size, he made up considerably in speed and agility, quite possibly the fastest swimmer in Araaba and able to cut through the waters with the grace of a dolphin. Not to mention when you coupled those two components with his quick-thinking and calculating mind, he often was very difficult to defeat, no matter what his size or the size of his opponent. Dorothy, with all of her tentacles and powers was no exception, and he could see that realization dawning on her as she cast a pain-filled look at her maimed tentacle before looking at him warily. Problem was, once his foes discovered that he wasn't an easy victory or a pushover, it tended to become considerably harder…and one look at the pure wrath in the Sea Witch's eyes confirmed that.

She let out a scream that Quatre could hear echoed in the winds above before she launched herself at him, Scimitar raised and ready. Quatre parried her blow with a quick touch before he spun out of her line of fire, letting her momentum carry her past him clumsily. She didn't waste too much time though, righting herself swiftly and coming right back at him, tentacles outstretched this time in an effort to grab a hold of him. He flipped around hastily to avoid the tentacles and met her blow over her head, jarring her before turning and slicing through another tentacle. She backed up with heavy breathing, looking at Quatre in a calculating way, Scimitar gripped tightly but not raised for attack.

"So, the little merman knows how to play, does he?" she asked softly. Quatre watched her other hand grab the hilt of the Scimitar but she made no other movements. "Tell me, did Daddy teach you how to fight? And here I thought he was against any of his children practicing violence as a lowly _human_ would! I guess even Rabban was a hypocrite when it comes down to the facts."

"I guess you didn't know him as well as you thought," Quatre responded calmly. He wasn't going to rise to the bait…no matter how much he wanted to fling his scimitar into her face for her comment about his father. "Doesn't change the fact that you haven't landed a hit and I've got two…what does that tell you?"

She smiled and let out a high giggle. "It tells me that you're too quick, in both body and mouth, for your own good. At least, you are in the water."

Quatre's eyes narrowed in confusion at her statement before the blue eyes widened in horror as she began to swirl the Scimitar harshly in the water and water responded in kind. He had only seconds to prepare before a huge cyclone of water rushed up from the ocean floor and caught him, spinning him and Dorothy to the surface. The cyclone exploded from the water, carrying him and Dorothy atop it, and spun wildly high into the sky, towering above the ocean's surface. Unsupported by water like he had been in the ocean, Quatre fell painfully onto his fin and tail, his grip on his scimitar loosening as he looked down from the cyclone. The very ocean was groaning and roiling in pain, the wind screeching in its fury at being controlled, the rain falling from the sky as the massive clouds voiced their displeasure. It was a horrible scene to witness, but what made it worse was the barely visible skiff he could see through the sheet of rain, trying to avoid the spinning cyclones that kept surfacing from the ocean floor.

Quatre's breath hitched as he saw that small boat get tossed and rolled by the violent waves, hoping to Allah that Trowa was safe and would stay away. He heard a cruel chuckle behind him and he pushed himself into a sitting position, facing a smirking and standing Dorothy. She was using her uninjured tentacles to keep her balanced atop the water, holding the Scimitar in one hand and glancing out to where Quatre's eyes had been moments before. "Well, if that isn't the most romantic thing I've ever seen! Forgoing all thoughts of his own safety, your human braves all the fury of the ocean to try and aid you…unknowing that is the last thing that would help you! It's so saccharinely sweet I think I may be sick."

She pointed the Scimitar at the boat and was about to fire before Quatre let out an exclamation and launched himself at her, knocking her off balance. She nearly fell off the cyclone, but managed to keep her balance just in time, throwing an angry glare at Quatre, who again was trying to push himself up and towards his dropped scimitar. He knew that whatever advantage he had was gone on top of the cyclone…his tail just wasn't able to keep him upright the way Dorothy's tentacles could. And she knew that as well.

One of her tentacles wrapped around his waist and dragged him up to her face, locking his arms behind him with another. She dangled him over the edge of the cyclone so he could see the small boat within her striking distance. She rested the Scimitar against the smooth skin of his neck and leaned in close, her mouth so close to his he could breathe in her breath. "Now, my little merman, maybe it's time you rethought my little offer and relinquished the Scimitar to me. If not, well, this time you won't make me miss!"

Quatre spat in her face and twisted his tail and fin to slap her away from him. She did, loosing her grip on him as she recoiled from the slap of his heavy fins, but in loosing her grip, that meant Quatre fell. He whooshed through the slick air, falling so fast, and he thought he could hear someone call out his name before his back hit the water. A stinging pain went through his back as he hit the water with a slap, but he shrugged the pain aside as he surfaced into the stormy surface, able to clearly see the skiff and the merfolk around it. He could even see Duo in the boat, looking extremely relieved that he was relatively unharmed from his fall. He was about to swim away from them, anything to draw Dorothy away from the ones he cared for most, but before he could, he was pulled down in a maelstrom, hearing only the collective, horrified gasps and the panicked yell from Trowa before he was dragged down by the whirlpool.

He didn't know how long it was before he spun to a stop on the ocean floor, silt and mud coating him and making him hack, but when he looked up his eyes widened. He wasn't surrounded by water but by air and he could see the sky clearly; and he could see Dorothy's frame atop the cyclone and aiming the Scimitar down at him…it seemed he had finally broke her patience with him. He scooted back, trying to use his fin and tail against the waterless floor as the first bolt sailed down on him, scorching his arm as he tried to move to the side. He gasped and held his upper arm with his other, rolling out of the way of another in time, but not quick enough to keep the next one from hitting his fins. Biting his lip to keep from yelling out, Quatre looked down through his blonde bangs and saw the hole through his fins delicate skin, the edges still burning and curling.

He looked up to see Dorothy cackling, her voice carried through the wind, raising the Scimitar once more, shouting something he couldn't hear. He knew with his fins injured the way they were, he wasn't going to be able to move that well and cast his ocean colored eyes around his round prison for some sort of escape. He crawled to the edge of the circle, reaching out and placing his hand through the rushing water. He brought it back quickly, the water moving so fast it felt like it was slapping him, but with one last glance upwards he forced himself through the water and into the ocean once more. He saw something hit Dorothy's hand before the water swallowed him up…a dart…and he thought he saw her drop the Scimitar…

When his head finally stopped spinning, Quatre opened his eyes and saw that he was again in the ocean, neither inside a whirlpool nor on top of one. He let a shaky breath of relief and started to swim slowly, still clutching his arm where it had been burned and trying not to cry out every time his fins flicked. He had to get back up to the surface somehow, he had to get that Scimitar from Dorothy somehow…and then something utterly amazing caught his eye. He looked over and saw his father's Scimitar sticking out of the floor, still glowing and churning but no longer in Dorothy's grasp. Ignoring the pain in his arm and fins, Quatre hurried over towards the weapon and grasped the hilt.

He let out a gasp and he felt something hot and powerful burn through his veins, making his eyes screw shut and his grip on the hilt tighten. He could barely think as the power of the Scimitar worked its way through his entire body, flooding him with energy and almost crying to be held in the hands of its master again. Quatre thought he could feel everything around him shift and change as he continued to hold the Scimitar…almost as if everything living thing in the ocean was becoming a part of him and he likewise was becoming a part of them. He could feel their pain, but he could feel their strength as well, and with one last cry, he opened his eyes and directed the talisman at the ocean floor. Much like when Dorothy had done it, the sea exploded around him and sent him speeding towards the surface, but instead of the waters churning and writhing, the water gently encircled him like a mother protects her child.

When he surfaced, he aimed the Scimitar at the sky and asked the clouds and the wind to calm, sighing when they did and the wind wrapped itself around him, gently blowing his wet hair around his face and keeping him from falling. The water lifted him until he was eye level with an enraged looking Dorothy, turning eyes that were almost glowing onto the Sea Witch who was holding his own forgotten scimitar. She launched herself at him, but was stopped as the water she was resting atop wrapped around her and squeezed her still. She began to make hand motions, prepared to fire her magic at him, but that too was stopped as the wind reached forward and wrapped her arms above her head. She let out a snarl and broke free of the water's hold, moving back and spitting out her anger at him. "How are you doing this?! This is too powerful, even for the Scimitar!"

"I asked the Ocean for help to protect those I love," Quatre said in a voice that was vaguely his own. It sounded like millions others were speaking through him as well, as if the ocean was speaking through him. "The Scimitar is raw power and will react to whoever hold it, be it its master or an imposter. But, it takes something else to unlock its true power…a power that has nothing to do with control or destruction. It takes a pure and selfless desire to protect (_love_) the Sea and all who love it (_me_) to unlock the true potential of the Scimitar…something that even if you had killed me (_all of us_) you would never had truly had the power."

Dorothy let out one last cry of rage before launching herself at Quatre, holding the forgotten scimitar, but her strike was off…as the Scimitar came down and cut her down. Her eyes went white before rolling back, all of her tentacles limp around her as she fell into the ocean and was dissolved into foam. Quatre felt the Ocean leave him, and with t, felt the missed strike on his abdomen, bleeding freely and making him groan as the pillar of water gently started to lower him back to the surface. He gritted his teeth and placed both shaky hands on the hilt of the Scimitar and directed it into the sinking water. "Please," he gasped out, his voice coated thick and quiet with pain. "Make it all right…"

A flash of blue light shimmered from the Scimitar and through the ocean before Quatre's grip weakened and the talisman dropped into the water. The pillar dissolved back into the ocean and Quatre felt himself weakly begin to sink into the water again…before two pairs of strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him against an equally strong chest. He smiled softly and wrapped one of his arms around those holding him, inhaling the smell of earth that always seemed to surround Trowa…even when they were out in the middle of the ocean.

"I knew you'd be here," Quatre said softly, closing his eyes as a numb feeling spread through his body, making him feel so very sleepy. He tried to pour every ounce of love he had into his words to make Trowa feel what he couldn't see in his eyes. "I knew you wouldn't leave…even though I wanted you too…"

"Quatre…" he heard Trowa's voice call to him as they both were pulled through the ocean…he sounded so worried. But Quatre couldn't muster the energy to say he was fine…and when comforting darkness finally won against consciousness, Quatre couldn't even say he loved Trowa before slipping off into the unaccountable deep…

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Hey, only two months, not bad considering my work load and such! This story is almost over…just one chapter and an epilogue to go! Sorry for the wait, but I couldn't figure out how I wanted to set this chapter for a while…and I got distracted by another blue-eyed blonde that I am beginning to adore as much as Quatre. Yes, I know, that's a horrible excuse but, meh, that's mine. Review! My muses love being fed and I do love to read them! Until next time!

Osco


	13. Chapter 13

_**Surfacing (13/14)**_

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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**Chapter Thirteen: **_**And They all Lived**_

The first thing Quatre registered, beyond being awake, was that he was incredibly dry.

He shifted under the heavy blanket covering him, blinking his eyes open, surprised by the lack of brightness that met him. He pushed himself up onto his forearms in order to get a better look at where he was, but promptly fell back with a hiss of pain, a burning sensation spreading over his abdomen. Gritting his teeth and riding out the discomfort with a small gasp, Quatre reopened his eyes and, with awareness brought about by pain, took note that he was not in the ocean, but rather in a softly lit room surrounded by air. Judging by the posh furniture and soft sheets, he knew he had to be in the Bartona castle, and judging by the lack of decorum in said room, guessed it was probably Trowa's. Taking a deep breath, Quatre slowly maneuvered his upper body to glance out the window, letting a wide smile cover his face when he was met with nothing but a calm night, moon shining brightly and the waves lulling against the shores.

"I see you're finally awake," a gruff voice spoke up from the doorway.

Quatre looked towards the doorway, smiling still the wider at the nonchalant Heero sitting by the door, calmly reading a book and not taking a glance upwards at the blond. It wasn't until the unflappable arms master finished whatever he was looking over that those deep blue eyes met with Quatre's own ocean tinted ones. With a faint quirk of his lips, Heero set down the book and flicked on a soft yellow light, illuminating the room in a gentle light.

"Trowa will be relieved that you're awake…he's been concerned that you lost too much blood."

Quatre glanced down at his bare torso for the first time, fingers brushing over the stiff bandages around his middle. He looked back up, mouth open to respond to Heero, but it promptly closed when the blond noticed the warrior was no longer in the room. He gently began to push himself up even further, but stopped as the blanket around him slipped off and his brilliantly teal tail and fins came into view. He stared at them, hoping for a moment that everything that had happened last night was just a dream and that he had simply woken up from a horrible nightmare and he still had a day as human to convince Trowa of his feelings…but there his fins were, in all of their singed and battered glory. His gaze didn't break away from them until he heard footsteps in the doorway, and met a pair of utterly relieved looking green eyes before he was being pulled into an embrace.

Quatre looked away from Trowa and at Cathy who was holding him, murmuring something about his being an idiot but how happy she was he was all right. He hugged her back but she seemed to remember he was injured as soon as he did and pulled away, hastily brushing tears away from her eyes and combing fingers through his hair in a motherly-fashion. She smiled at him one more time before moving aside and letting Trowa fill in her spot, his fingers interlacing with Quatre's and uncharacteristic emotion flitting across his face as he looked at the blond merman. And then, by Allah, he smiled at him, pressing that smile onto Quatre's lips before letting out a shaky laugh.

"By the Gods, Quatre, what were you thinking?" Trowa asked. He brushed Quatre's blond hair away from his face, as if it obscured his vision of the merman's face. Quatre noted the slight tremor to the brunet's voice and reached up to take Trowa's hand in his own.

"I didn't mean to make you worried, Trowa," Quatre began softly, voice hoarse from both exhaustion and the dryness. "But I…I caused everything that happened and needed to fix it…I needed to be the one to stop Dorothy. I knew that she wouldn't stop with Araaba and would eventually attack the land countries as well and…I just had to. I'm sor--"

His apology was cut off by another kiss, this one more insistent than the previous one, and he was left breathless when Trowa pulled away. He looked curiously at Trowa's less than pleased expression before a pair of fingers pressed against his lips.

"Don't ever say that you're sorry for dragging me into everything, Quatre Rabera Winner," Trowa said fiercely, his green eyes alit with a fire that reminded Quatre of the sea during a storm. "Don't ever regret this or us. I'm not sorry, so you have no reason to be. Don't say it."

"Okay," Quatre responded just as fiercely, pressing his lips against Trowa's again, inhaling the earthly scent harshly, arms wrapping around the prince's neck and tangling in his hair. He wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, simply kissing and reveling in the closeness of one another, before a light 'harumph' from behind them broke them from their trance, meeting the smirking and suffering looks of Cathy and Heero respectively. Trowa smiled softly for Quatre against his lips before pulling away, hand entangled with his own.

"Well, I guess you're feeling a lot better," Cathy said with a laugh, eyes twinkling devilishly as she eyed the pair. "Don't you wear him out though, Trowa Barton! He's still recovering and needs his rest! Quatre, how are you feeling really? You look a little peaky…"

Quatre opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a familiar, cheerful voice that preceded its body by only a second. "Well, he'd probably feel a whole lot better if he was in a tub or something. Take it from me, Merfolk really don't like to be dry, hence why we live in water."

"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed in half happiness and half shock…for his closest companion Duo walked into the room when he distinctly remembered him having fins last time he saw him. His surprise was cut off though as Duo hurried over, stumbling over the rug but recovering quickly, and hugged Quatre something fierce. "What…I thought you became a merman again?"

"Well, I did," Duo said, pulling away and wriggling his way in between Trowa and Quatre with a grin at the disgruntled looking prince. "But, after you went all martyr-like on us, after completely erasing EVERYTHING our favorite Sea Bitch did, your dad gave Wuffers the okay to make me human again so I could make sure the humans didn't 'botch up' your recovery. After all, you were hurt pretty bad and couldn't be moved as far as Araaba so…here I am! Let me tell you, buddy, you do anything like that again and I'll wring your scrawny neck myself, got that?"

Quatre smiled and nodded. "Got it, Duo. Sorry I made you worry, I really didn't want to get stabbed…it just sort of happened."

"Yeah, yeah," Duo waved, the smile in his eyes belaying the indifferent look on his face. They both laughed again before Duo shot the annoyed looking Trowa another grin. "All right, all right Uni-bang, I'm moving! Sorry for getting between you and you ickle-Quatre-kins!"

Duo got up and was unceremoniously swept into Heero's arms, who Quatre swore was smiling softly at the braided boy before Duo pressed their lips together. He smiled wide before looking back at Trowa, the smile dropping a little bit when he remembered that the prince had used his whole name…the smile evaporating completely when thoughts about what would happen after he was healed came into his mind. He had already made up his mind but…holding Trowa's hand was making him wish with all his being that he hadn't. A if sensing the sudden shift in Quatre's mood, Duo began ushering the others out of the room, stating something about giving the lovebirds some privacy, and soon enough it was just him and Trowa. He could feel the human prince's unspoken question in his gaze, and Quatre looked up, a sad smile on his face.

"You know my whole name…I guess that means Duo told you about my father and all that."

"Heero actually, but he heard it from Duo, Quatre, what's wrong?"

"Trowa…I can't stay here."

Quatre looked down as the look of denial, pain, and anger crossed Trowa's face. Trowa knew it too, he could tell by the desperate quality to his touches and embraces. Neither moved or said anything for a long moment, not until a few hand-servants came in with a large tub of seawater and Trowa helped lift Quatre and his heavy fins into the water.

"Trowa…"Quatre began, wrapping his hand around Trowa's and another guiding Trowa's face back to his own. "I want nothing more but to stay here with you but I can't. I'm my father's heir and…the Scimitar chose me. I wouldn't have reacted the way I did to its magic if…if I wasn't meant to take my father's place one day. I never really understood what was the link between my father and the Scimitar, and why he would always say his successor would be chosen by it but…I do now.

"When I let the Scimitar's power fill me up so I could defeat Dorothy, I wasn't just in tune with the ocean, I _was _the ocean. I felt everything and saw everything…it changed my I guess. I know that even if I wanted to become human, and Wufei tried, it wouldn't work. I'm a part of the sea, just like my father and all those who wielded the Scimitar before us, I can't become something that isn't anymore. I have to…I have to stay and help protect my home. Just because Dorothy is gone doesn't mean that the peace we've earned is forever…someone has to protect that peace, someone who has the power to do so. I want nothing more in the entire world than to stay with you but I…"

"I know," Trowa interrupted softly, pressing his forehead against Quatre's, eyes gleaming bright gazing at Quatre even though Quatre's eyes were closed. "I know, love. You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

They stayed that way, foreheads flushed against each other's, eyes closed and arms clutched together. Quatre could feel himself start to shake, but he quelled the urge, knowing that Trowa was just as upset as he was…but he was determined to not view this parting as forever. He still had time needed to recover from his battle with Dorothy, and even then he could still visit Trowa…they could make this work. He needed to believe that.

"This won't be forever," Quatre whispered. "No matter what happens, this can never be forever as long as you hold me close to you and remember me. I'll do the same and keep you with me always."

"Always," Trowa echoed, pressing his lips against Quatre's softly.

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That precious time Quatre had with Trowa passed quicker than hoped, his injuries healing with the help of being in water most of the time, moved out only to move him from room to room. In little more than a month, Quatre could move his upper body with ease again and his fins had healed from the jolts Dorothy had singed through them. While Quatre was happy he wasn't in pain anymore, with those injuries subsided, it meant he had to return to the sea and Araaba…away from Trowa. Never had Quatre wished so hard for an infection or some other sickness to keep him from leaving already.

Trowa knew it was time that morning, without any prompting from Quatre, and with a sad smile had set about making preparations. Quatre marveled how swiftly the two of them became in tune with each other, almost as if their very souls were matched, despite the fact their species were not. Quatre looked over at Duo for a moment, taking in the fake smile as he said his goodbyes to the staff, exchanging a quick hug with Hilde as she burst into tears. Before he could speak his mind, S came into view and announced that all was ready, if he and Duo were ready.

The procession down to the ocean reminded Quatre of a funeral, all the somber faces and quiet. He tightened his hold on Trowa, who was valiantly carrying him down o the ocean, fins and all. The sun hit them as they stepped outside, the household waving as they walked towards the beach and Quatre heard lots of cries to come and visit before a different sound attracted his attention. It was the sound of an Araaban horn, and has the small party turned the corner to the ocean, Quatre felt Trowa inhale sharply at the sight of hundreds of Merfolk awaiting them.

Wufei was up in front, besides Sally, his face torn between sadness and calmness, Sally just smiling at him in a bittersweet kind of way. He could see his many sisters mingled with the Magunac all cheering for his health, Iria, Maya, and Shaara near Wufei and cheering the loudest. Quatre smiled softly at them before looking at his proud father in the middle, Scimitar in hand and standing beside the Magunac leader Rashid, face practically shining a he looked at him. Quatre was just pleased his father's face didn't scowl at the 'humans' surrounding his son. He smiled tentatively at him, hoping to look as if this wasn't the worst day of his life. He had a responsibility to uphold, and by Allah he was going to do it…but that didn't make being separated from Trowa and all his friends on land any better. Especially since he was making sure he was going back alone.

He held up a hand, stopping their march before they arrived at the water and looked over at Duo's equally miserable looking face. "Duo, I want you to stay here."

"What?!" Quat, you can't be serio--"

"I am, Duo. You love Heero…I don't want to make you come back when I know you'll be happier up here. Besides, who'll keep these two out of trouble if one of us isn't here?"

Duo smiled through his watery eyes, canting his head in agreement while Heero and Trowa exchanged looks. He stepped towards Quatre and began to shake his head, but Quatre only smiled.

"Please, Duo. Stay here and be happy. I'll be fine and visit all the time…besides, someone has to restart our collection. Think of how much easier it'll be if one of us doesn't have to salvage stuff from shipwrecks?"

Nodding, Duo laughed this time, embracing Quatre tightly before Heero tugged him back. "You better visit Quat, or I'll be sure to drag you back up here by the fins!"

Quatre laughed and looked back as Trowa started carrying him back down to the water again, nodding but not trusting his voice to work properly. He looked forward again, resting his head against Trowa's shoulder and allowing himself to enjoy these last few moments he had. He wasn't going to think about how hard it was going to be, and he wasn't going to think about Trowa finding someone else while distance kept them apart, he was just going to enjoy listening to Trowa's breathing and remember how it was this breathing that had bewitched him all those months ago on this beach. He started singing the song quietly, moving in Trowa's arms so that he sang into Trowa's ear, smiling through the song as the prince's arms tightened around him. He didn't look into Trowa's eyes until he was finished with the song, not even when he felt the ocean lapping against his skin, pressing his lips against Trowa's and pressing his promise onto his skin.

"Never forget I love you, never forget me, and this won't be our ending."

"I won't…I swear it…I love you."

Quatre didn't respond, just held on for a moment longer before letting go, dropping into the sea as Trowa's arms let him go as well.

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Rabban would have been a fool if he didn't notice his son's listless behavior over the next few weeks. True, Quatre had been overjoyed to be back with his family, back with Wufei, and back in the ocean, but there was always the underlying sadness there, never seen until you got the prince alone. Rabban had attributed it, at first, to missing Duo who had stayed on the surface with his human lover, but as time went on, Rabban knew what the true cause was.

His son was in love with a perfectly noble and respectable human, and Rabban would have given anything to allow his son to remain there. But, the Scimitar had made it's choice, and there was no going back from the moment Quatre had let it's power fill him.

Rabban was watching his son, in secret thanks to Wufei of course, on the surface, watching him watch a tall brunet human play an Araaban song on his flute with the saddest smile on his face. He watched and as he watched, he resolved that he would follow his beloved Quaterina's advice she had given him so long ago.

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Cathy knew long before Trowa knew that he was going to leave her. She didn't begrudge him when he told her of his conversation with the Sea King. She only smiled and wished him happiness.

And, of course, threatened to come after him if he didn't visit.

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Wufei listened to his king and couldn't help the swell of pride he felt. Pride not only in his king for his overcoming prejudices, but pride for a certain human prince who was proving every passing moment to be Quatre's compliment in many ways.

Sally just smiled knowingly, as if she had known the entire time. Insufferable woman.

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Duo hugged Trowa tightly.

After all, he knew what it was like to give up all you know for someone you loved.

Heero had only smiled and braced Trowa's arm. He wasn't surprised, he said, and promised to keep all the nobles in line for Cathy.

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Quatre swam up, excited in a half happy and half sad kind of way. He finally had enough time to visit Trowa, for longer than a glance or a song. He wasn't truly happy with the situation, but it was better than nothing so who was he to complain? He broke the surface and looked around for Trowa, spotting him standing in the water with nothing but a pair of breeches on, Duo, Heero, Cathy, and numerous others standing behind him on the shore. Brow furrowed, Quatre swam forward until he broke near Trowa, confusion marring his face as he waved at an obnoxiously excited Duo.

"Trowa, what's going on?"

"Just this," a deep voice said from behind him. Quatre looked and spotted his father, surprised that he would follow him and even more surprised he wasn't being scolded for coming to visit Trowa.

"I still don't--"

"Quatre, you gave up everything once to come be with me," Trowa said with a smile, kneeling in the water and cupping the blond's face. "What makes you think I would do anything less?"

Still not understanding what was going on, Quatre began to ask Trowa to be clear and not talk in riddles when a shimmering wave passed by him. He looked behind him at his father, who had the Scimitar pointed down in the water and directing the wave before looking back again a look of utter shock covering his face when he no longer saw Trowa standing beside him.

But rather, Trowa, complete with a pair of emerald green fins, sitting beside him in the water, a true and unrestrained smile alighting his face as he took in Quatre's surprise. He reached up and cupped Quatre's face once more and pressed his forehead against the blond's.

"I would do anything, Quatre, anything to be with you. I love you and you were right…our story isn't going to end anytime soon."

"But…what about your kingdom?"

"Cathy's more than capable of handling a country."

"But it's your home!"

"And it always will be. But, my home is with you."

Quatre looked lost for another moment or two, looking at Duo and everyone on the shore and back at his father before a sort of comprehension dawned on his face. He looked back at Trowa and his beautiful eyes which were mirrored in his fins and tail before letting out what was probably a very undignified yelp as he tackled Trowa into the water. He let them surface to wave at the shore, and flashed a tear-filled smile at his father before diving back under, swimming fast and dragging Trowa along with him.

"I'm going to have to teach you how to swim properly," Quatre said with a smirk. "You swim like a human!"

Trowa smiled at him in response before pressing his lips against his. "Fine by me, love. Fine by me."

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Okay! Just the epilogue to go everyone! Thank you for being so patient and for the reviews! You all can thank the fantastic movie "Enchanted" for this update. It just got my creative juices going and I got this out as soon as I could. If you haven't seen it yet, go now. Like right now. Review!

Osco


	14. Chapter 14 BONUS!

_**Surfacing (14/14)**_

So sorry for the long wait everyone! This is my pseudo-epilogue for Surfacing. After trying to write a decent epilogue for this story for close to six months, I've decided that the ending of chapter 13 is the best ending for this story. However, I feel terrible about making all of you wait for nothing, so I wrote you a bonus short story! It's 3x4 of course and a retelling of one of my fav fairy tales called "The White Cat." I hope you all enjoy and please do me the favor of reviewing. I thank all of you for reading and faving Surfacing and I hope you like this story.

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The White Cat

Long ago there was a little prince who was the heir to six vast kingdoms and a legacy as old as the land itself. While the prince was still quite young, his mother was enchanted by the most tempting fruit orchard on one of her many travels and felt as if she would die if she could not have a taste of the beautiful apples, cherries, pears, grapes, kumquats, and all other assortment of fruits hanging within the orchard. The queen was an intelligent woman and knew that the fruit must be magic of some sort, but she could not fight her desire for them. In her distress, she flung herself from her horse's saddle and wept on the ground, silently pledging to give whoever owned the magnificent orchard anything he or she could possibly desire. As if answering her desperate call, a bright light, all full of colors and wisps, descended upon the queen and her small travelling party.

"We have heard your plea, mortal Queen, and should you wish to hear our bargain, you may be allowed to take as much of our precious fruit as you desire."

The queen looked up and gasped in marvel, for before her were three petite faeries, hovering and flapping their incandescent wings so fast their bright color seem to blur and dance. She hurriedly climbed to her feet and curtsied deeply to the kind, but reserved looking creatures. Each had the image of impossibly beautiful young woman, the faerie in the middle dark skinned and bright eyed while her flanking companions were golden and dark-eyed. The queen had heard warnings of the deceiving nature of the Fey creatures, but her hunger for the gleaming and tantalizing fruit, whose aroma had wafted under her nose and nearly sent her into another fit of tears, held her too tightly to heed the warnings.

"Please! I will do anything you desire if I can have but a taste of your marvelous orchard!"

"You may have all the fruit that you desire, mortal Queen," the middle faerie said. Her eerily bright eyes seem to take a sickly pleased gleam but it was impossible for the queen to tell. "And our bargain is that you give to us your youngest child in payment for sampling our magical orchard with you."

The queen was dismayed, for how could she even think to part from one of her children, and her only son no less, but against the magical pull of the fruit, she could not say no. Reluctantly, she agreed, and the faeries immediately set to work filling enchanted boxes full of the ripe fruit, many more flitting out from the high mountains that surrounded the orchard. In no time at all, the queen had hundreds of boxes full of the beautiful fruit, all so light that it seemed only feathers were held within the boxes. The queen ate her fill as she and her company travelled back to her husband's largest kingdom, from where he ruled on high as King. She deeply dreaded having to tell her husband of her deal with the faeries, and the guilt and bone-wrenching sadness well up in her as the fruit's hold began to lessen and her mind returned.

When informed, the King was enraged at the thought of giving up his only son to the devious faeries who had entranced his wife and shut out all travelers from his kingdoms, locking himself and his family within their castle. However, it was all for naught, as the faeries descended from their mountain home and began to ravage the kingdoms with droughts, floods, plagues, and violent storms. Knowing there was no way for him to save his kingdom without giving up his son, the king grudgingly gave into the faerie's demands, cradling his distraught wife as she clutched her golden haired son close before releasing him to the faerie's and the trolls they had been sent to ensure the faeries were obeyed. The little prince, barely old enough to stand on his own, was given over to the faerie's who encircled him in a gentle cradle made of honeysuckle and dew grass and they carried him away, heedless of his own cries. And then…

But we get ahead of ourselves, for this story is not about one prince, but two. One, who it can be imagined, is in dire need of help and another who was looking for something more out of his life than what he had. And while our little prince's story grows murky and hidden, another's is where we begin our tale…

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Trowa heaved a sigh as he stood beside, yet again, his two older brothers before their slightly paranoid and 'scheming' uncle. He used the word scheming loosely, as Treize was not nearly as tricky or clever with his political machinations as he believed himself to be. In fact, Trowa was willing to bet that if Treize didn't have his second in command Zechs Merquis, he would have lost the throne years ago.

Trowa cast a side long look at Heero, the shorter and more withdrawn of his brothers, catching his eye and echoing his sentiments via eye rolling. He looked down further and caught Wufei's attention, noting that his eye was beginning to twitch and spasm as the most outspoken of the three motioned his attention forward to their uncle. Heaving another well put upon sigh, Trowa turned his suffering verdant gaze back forward to where their uncle was eyeing them all as if they were ravenous vultures waiting to descend and pluck out his eyes. Maybe a little graphic, Trowa mused as he bowed in time with his brothers as Treize stood, but he liked it; poetic and fitting their suspicious uncle.

"My beloved nephews," Treize began. His voice was melodious and pleasing to the ear, but after the twentieth time of hearing that greeting, all Trowa wanted to do was plug his ears with beeswax. "I trust you all know why you are here."

Trowa exchanged another look with his brothers before Wufei answered that they did not know, only that their king required an audience with them. It was a complete and utter lie that they didn't know why they were here, but they pretended that this was all completely new to them, this 'choosing' of an heir that Treize had been implementing for nearly a year. Trowa, as well as his brothers, were well aware of their uncle's reluctance to hand over power to one of his nephews, especially when he did not view himself as old or incompetent (which made no sense to Trowa why Treize would think others thought of him like that…he was only fifteen summers older than he was). What their uncle did not seem to understand was that none of the brothers really wanted to take the throne from him.

Not that they hadn't tried to tell him when he first started these inane 'quests' of his for the three of them; honestly, Trowa had just about had enough of "find me the smallest dog" or "fetch the quaintest bucket" and he was sure the others were starting to feel the same. But no matter how they tried to assure their uncle they did not want to dethrone him, he had continued with his ridiculous tasks. That was what he probably had in mind when he called them, another pointless task that would 'assure' one of them the throne…at least until the next absurd task that popped into Treize's head.

"I know that all three of you have proved yourselves ten-fold this past year, demonstrating from the moment of your majorities how willing you all are to show me your determination to rule our beautiful kingdom." Trowa could see Heero's mouth twitch in a downward motion, Wufei's hands clenching spasmodically at his sides at this point. "Let me know how much it warms my heart that you all--"

"What do you want us to do now, Treize?" Heero, ever the blunt one, interrupted.

Treize seem to stumble for a moment before receiving a reassuring nod from Zechs, steeling his nerves once more. "Ah, yes, you're quite right prince Heero. I have decided that because of all your dedication to my tasks in the past I shall only hold three more for you all to complete. Whoever completes these next few tasks closest to what I am seeking will become King."

Even though he dared not to believe that Treize actually meant it this time, Trowa couldn't help but be hopeful. At this point, he didn't care who became king, as long as these ridiculous tasks ended. Each of the brothers looked at each other briefly, before rising from their kneeling position and ready to accept whatever it was that Treize wanted them to find.

"Right then, your next task will be to find me the most precious metal pendant, and you will have three moons to do so. I wish you all luck."

"Yes, luck that we'll slit our own wrists in order to end this outrageous scavenger hunt," Wufei mumbled under his breath as the three exited the grand chamber. Once outside the throne room and beyond their uncle's listening ears, Wufei spoke again. "Well now, should we set out together once more?"

"Actually, I think we should do this separately," Heero answered. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest, eyes hard and gazing into Trowa's and Wufei's. "If he's serious (no matter how unlikely) we should complete this mission alone. I do not want him to be able to contest any of our successes should we not follow his instructions."

Trowa shrugged indifferently, not really caring what they did one way or another. Out of the three of them, he had the least amount of drive to rule; it wasn't what he wanted from life. Not that he really knew what he wanted, but he was sure it would become clear should it present itself. "I'm fine with splitting up."

"Then it's agreed," Wufei said. He nodded at each of his brothers before turning to head off towards his rooms to, no doubt, pack. "We set out tomorrow at dawn. May Fortune smile upon us all."

Trowa just hoped for something more than Fortune to smile for them; Fortune hadn't been too kind for the past year.

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Now, the brothers did set off the next morning, travelling together until reaching the outskirts of the royal city, and while both the princes Wufei and Heero had many adventures and met many strange creatures and loved ones on this fateful journey, it is Prince Trowa's journey we must follow. For, as I said, this is the story of two princes, and while Heero and Wufei had many adventures, they did not once encounter our first little prince. That being said, Trowa started off west, his pack resting comfortable and like an old friend on his back, his heart unusually light and hopeful that his wayward wanderings might really be coming to an end.

He travelled long and far for the first few weeks, stopping in a few familiar taverns, looking at each and every pendant made of precious metal that came his way. Unfortunately, he did not find one that he felt would help him, so full of bravery and probably a little fool-hardiness, Trowa set off into the deep woods of the west, not heeding cautions of Fey creatures who dwelt therein. You do remember what happened the last time someone did not heed these warnings, yes?

Eventually, Trowa became utterly and hopelessly lost, and as the realization that he was indeed lost came upon him, sometime after he first became lost mind you, he felt a sense of resigned frustration bubble up in his stomach. He looked around him, noting only an endless sea of pine and green until a bright glimmer caught in his eye. He whirled around where he first saw the glimmer and looked far and hard…and lo! It was a small lamp post, not more than knee high, the fire and oil within flickering with every gust of wind. Trowa hurried over to the lamp post and looked until he found another. The sky above crackled in warning, spurring Trowa to follow the lamp post, passing dozens and dozens until he came upon an enormous mansion in the middle of the forest.

Now, prince Trowa was not without common sense and a large house ominously placed in the middle of a supposed enchanted forest was something that made him uneasy. He did hesitate, but another crack and boom in the sky overrode any sense of foreboding and he hurried to the manor, banging on the door until it gave way with a loud creak. He stumbled rather ungracefully into the manor, his boots slipping on the polished floor that were obviously well kept and he shakily sat down, looking around at all that he could see in the little amount of light. A scurrying sound to his left made him whip around, hand resting ready on the hilt of his long knife, eyes scanning all around for anything unfriendly. He turned and saw a flash of a tail before the lights above turned on in an instant, as if by magic. He covered his eyes at the sudden brightness, lowering his arm when he felt something furry and warm brush up against his leg.

It was a little spotted cat, mewing softly and purring as it looked up into Trowa's surprised green eyes. To his amazement, more and more cats poured themselves out from hiding spots all around him, all meowing and purring at him until there were at least a hundred. He smiled uneasily as he petted those who got near enough to him, hoping these cats weren't wild and planning on attacking him, but sharp yowl sent them all scurrying. Trowa stood back up straight and looked around, eyes stopping on a figure waiting for him at the end of the hall.

"I apologize if any of my fellows surprised or upset you; it's been quite some time since they've seen a human." The voice was a soft tenor that sounded like it had a slight trill to it, as if the speaker was on the verge of song. "Please, be welcome to my manor. I would have to be cruel indeed to turn anyone away with such a terrible storm outside."

Trowa's eyes widened even further as the figure glided over to him and into focus. It was a boy, or at least, it had boyish features. However, Trowa had never seen a boy that looked as if he had been merged with a cat. He was short and slender, hands and feet ending in claws that clicked whenever his feet hit the tile, with a soft cover of snow white fur covering his body and tail, which swished leisurely behind him. His snowy ears poked out from beneath pale gold hair which framed his face, a strange but beautiful mixture of human and cat. His deep blue eyes which seemed to stare right into Trowa's soul were the only thing that seemed entirely human, gazing at him with such kindness and, sadness that Trowa felt his heart fill with warmth for this strange little boy.

The cat's ears flattened against his head under Trowa's silent scrutiny and he bit his lip, displaying pointed canines. "I understand that I look rather odd…"

"What? No!" Trowa exclaimed. He waved his hands in front of him in a manner meant to be both reassuring and denying. "It's just, well I—I've never seen a, um, cat-person before. And you don't look odd or anything, you look well, um, you look…"

The white cat smiled softly at Trowa, seemingly understanding what his babbles (which were a surprise enough, he couldn't remember the last time he talked so much in one breath) were trying to say. "If it makes you feel better, you look very, uh, too, despite looking a little harried."

Trowa felt himself smiling before he could even think about it, the white cat laughing softly as he grabbed his hand and led him down the hallway of the large manor. "What's your name, human prince?"

"Trowa, but how did you—"

"Know?" The cat smiled in a soft and sad way as his blue eyes gazed forward, seeing something Trowa could not. "Let's just say, it is both my gift and curse. I've been able to read a person's emotions ever since I was a child, and sometimes it's very similar to, well, to reading minds."

Trowa wasn't sure he understood, but he gave the white cat a reassuring smile to let him know that everyone had their quirks. True, it was a little unsettling that this cat could know what he was feeling and somehow discern the thought from that, but he had heard of much worse and diabolical gifts. "So, you know my name, might I have the honor of knowing yours?"

"Me?" the white cat asked. He stopped and fixed those blue eyes onto Trowa's face, searching for something in his eyes that Trowa could not understand. Trowa felt his breath quicken as he looked back into those sad eyes, and could feel his heartbeat increase at how close this dangerously beautiful young man was to him. The sadness seemed to lessen almost suddenly and the white cat smiled, his clawed fingers threading through Trowa's. "My name is Quatre, and I'm very happy you asked me, Trowa."

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It amazed Trowa how fast he had come to trust the little white cat named Quatre, telling him virtually everything in his life, both current and past, as well as his doubts and dreams of the future, in the short time he was spending with the enchanting young cat. He wanted to ask about this manor, the fact that the cats didn't really act like cats, and well, about Quatre himself, but every time he mentioned anything close Quatre's eyes filled with sadness and he would not answer. There was some sort of dark magic at work here, of that Trowa was sure, but he would not force Quatre to speak of it if it upset him. So content was he at the manor with Quatre that the three moons flew by before he even knew it, and the only reason he did know was because of Quatre.

"Do you know that tomorrow is when you must present the pendant of precious metal to your uncle, and that your brothers have already found fine pendants?" Quatre asked this to Trowa's horror one morning at breakfast.

"What? How can three moons have already gone by? Ah fie, there is no way I can find a pendant and make it back in time now!"

"If you ask it of me, I will provide you a way to get back to your home and will also give you a pendant to give to your uncle, one made of such precious metal that it will far outshine any from your brothers."

Trowa looked over at Quatre, about to snap that making fun of his plight was not needed, but the dead serious look on his face stopped the words in his throat. He looked incredulously at the blue-eyed cat, even as Quatre got up from the table and retrieved something from a small, silver engraved box on a nearby table. He made his way back to Trowa and pressed a flower into his hand, one that had the shape of a star and had petals of the deepest red. Trowa looked down at the flower in skepticism and was about to voice it when soft and slender fingers pressed against his mouth.

"Do you trust me, human prince? If so, believe when I say that keep this flower close to you and do not pluck off the petals until you stand before your uncle. If you do this, and if you believe me, you will have a pendant greater than any other in the world."

Trowa's gaze travelled up from the flower to Quatre's blue eyes and he nodded his trust. "I do not want to leave you."

"I know," Quatre smiled. "But you must. You must meet with your uncle or else you could lose everything."

Trowa wasn't exactly sure what compelled him to lean down and kiss Quatre, but he wasn't going to question the decision when Quatre's soft palms cupped his face. "I will come back, my little white cat, trust in that and me."

"I do."

Trowa was caught up on a cat drawn carriage then, and whizzed through the forest and countryside faster than he thought possible, the trees and towns nothing but blurs as they flew past. Trowa clutched the star shaped flower close as they flew, eyes dropping closed as the sun vanished and the moon shone bright. When the carriage came to a stop, Trowa blinked up in amazement at his uncle's castle, for while he was sure Quatre's manor was well over a fortnight away, they had made the journey in no more than a day! He leapt from the carriage, giving a little bow to the cats who had brought him here, not really mindful of the queer looks he got from the milling people.

He made his way into his uncle's throne room; Trowa was relieved to see that while both his brothers were there, nothing had started yet. Heero gave him a questioning look before he was called forth to present his pendant. True to Quatre's words, both of the pendants his brothers had found were exquisite and almost equal in brilliance, but Trowa had faith in the white cat and he strode forward, holding out the flower he had kept safe. He could hear some snickers from the crowd of courtiers, but the sudden silence spoke of his brothers' menacing stares.

"Young Trowa," Treize began, somewhat confused. "No matter how lovely that bloom is, I do believe I asked for a pendant this task and not a flower."

"Yes, your Grace, you did" Trowa replied, plucking each of the petals until all fell to the floor. Suddenly, where the stalk been, a brilliant and gleaming red chain pendant was pulled from the flower, white filament running in veins all through the chain, the red and white blending into a fiery and warm stone. Gasps were heard throughout the hall as Trowa gave it to Treize, which Trowa did not blame, for surely this brilliant pendant was faerie made. "And I have brought you one."

"Ah, well, yes, I believe this is, well, quite precious," Treize said reluctantly as he held the pendant. "Ahem, now onto the second task, I ask that you three go out and find me the most magnificent, smallest, and clearest diamond. Again, you have three moons and will present them to me then."

Trowa barely waited for his uncle to stop speaking before he rushed out of the hall, hoping that he could remember how to get back to Quatre's manor, clapping both Heero and Wufei as he made his way out the door. Both remaining brothers looked at each other in mild confusion before shrugging off their youngest brother's antics. They had their work cut out for them this time and could only hope their respective contacts and friends could help them locate a most magnificent diamond.

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It did not take Trowa nearly as long to find his white cat's home this time, and when he burst open the doors, he was met with a smiling Quatre waiting for him. He hurried forward, taking the white cat in his arms and swinging him around before pressing his lips into Quatre's, much to the amusement of the surrounding cats. Setting the blue-eyed cat down, Quatre linked their hands and led him to the dining hall where a grand feast had been prepared for human, cats, and those in between alike. There, Trowa related all that had happened when he arrived at his uncle's and the new, and seemingly impossible, task he set for them next. Quatre only smiled and asked that Trowa not trouble his mind with the future, for if he trusted in Quatre, all would be well.

Trowa did trust his white cat, so he enjoyed the rest of the evening.

As the weeks passed by, Trowa grew to know more about his white cat, Quatre revealing to Trowa all manner of his family and history that he knew. Quatre had not only one sibling, but close to thirty, with only himself as the only male. He did not know his family as well as he wished he did, but he hoped that one day they would be reunited. Quatre did not speak of his childhood beyond what he was learned in, but Trowa caught glimmers of truth in little observations of him. For instance, Quatre had quite a bit of knowledge of different Fey creatures, and if the rose was anything to go by, knew how the mysterious and dangerous faerie magic operated very well.

But as Trowa grew closer and closer to Quatre, the more he needed to know what sort of trouble Quatre was in, and what caused the sadness still lurking behind his beautiful smile. One night as the two sat out and watched the stars, Quatre relating to Trowa the different stories behind each constellation, grabbed one soft, fur covered hand and turned Quatre's face towards his own. "What is it that haunts you, dear one? Please tell me, for I wish to help."

Quatre only stared at Trowa, those fathomless blue eyes boring into Trowa with such intensity that Trowa could do nothing more than stare back and try to summon every warm feeling he had towards the white cat. Quatre sighed and looked down; he tightened his hand around Trowa's and leaned forward until his soft forehead rested against the tall prince's. "I sorely wish that you could, human prince. But prince Trowa, what troubles me…it is dangerous and large, but not in the sense that is apparent."

"Then tell me."

"I can't yet. You said that you trust me, do so now. I do not keep knowledge from you because I want to, but because I must. Please, tell me you understand and will ask me no more."

Trowa didn't really like that answer nor did he like remaining ignorant of the troubles his white cat faced, but he did trust him, so he conceded. He pressed his lips against Quatre's and then cupped his face in his hands. "All right, I will trust you, but I ask that you will come to me when I can help you."

"Always." Quatre's smile erased all sadness from his eyes and Trowa now knew exactly what that warm feeling in his heart was. Love.

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Again, Trowa spent the three moons with his beloved white cat, learning all sorts of knowledge about the Fey forest the manor resided in and sharing with Quatre what his own homeland was like. Quatre, who had such an intense fascination with the mortal realm, soaked up nearly everything Trowa said as a sponge would water, asking hundreds of questions and constantly marveling at the strange and unique rituals and festivals humans practiced. Well, strange to Quatre at any rate, Trowa personally did not know what the white cat found so interesting about the Crab festival, but he was beginning to understand why.

Again, the morning before he had to meet again with his uncle, Quatre asked Trowa if he intended to go back and meet his family the next day. Though he wanted nothing more than to stay with Quatre longer, Trowa reluctantly stated that he was, if he could be provided with something to present to his uncle and a way to get back home so quickly. Quatre smiled in reply and again, rose and fetched something from the silver box resting on the nearby table. Trowa rose as well and met him halfway on the way back, accepting a very small walnut from the white cat, letting his other hand stroke Quatre's cheek.

"You know, I don't really think your uncle wants to give up his throne," Quatre said with a humored smile. "Surely he must be running out of room in his palace for all the useless items he asks you and your brothers to procure."

"He doesn't want to," Trowa replied. "And we've each tried to tell him, but he doesn't listen. He's convinced that my brothers and I wish to overthrow him and rule ourselves."

"Do you not wish to rule?" Quatre asked. He looked up at Trowa, those knowing blue eyes probing the truth from the green-eyed prince and filling him with warmth and understanding. Trowa let Quatre take the hand from his face and wrap his own fur-covered hand around his.

"I—I do not know," Trowa replied honestly. "Because my uncle has no heirs, and because my brothers and I were selected by our foster father to be heirs at a young age, I have always known that I would someday be ruling or at least a part of the court's politics, but…"

"But you want something else," Quatre finished.

"I want you," Trowa said. "I have never been so sure of anything in my life. The moment I first saw you, I knew you were what I have been looking for."

Quatre didn't say anything, just kept staring forward until he closed his eyes with a sigh, his calm expression melting into one that looked both elated and relieved, but also full of remorse. "And you have me." He looked back up into Trowa's eyes. "And I think you would make a great and caring ruler. Politics will always exist within courts, but if you have enough bravery, you can overcome it, and I believe you do, prince Trowa. Keep this walnut safe and close to your heart, and when you are before your uncle, crack it open on the point of your knife. You will then have the diamond so clear that it will put the very sky to shame."

The cat drawn carriage arrived once more and Quatre gently steered Trowa into it, placing a soft and ardent kiss on Trowa's lips, pulling away only when breathing became a necessity. Trowa promised to return as soon as he could, his eyes and touch conveying what his simple words could not. He clutched the walnut close to his heart as the carriage whisked away, blurring all images around him into nothing discernable, staring forward with determination that after this last mission, he would not return home without bringing Quatre with him, breaking any spell or defeating any foe if he had to.

Again, the carriage brought him to the foot of his uncle's castle the next day and after thanking the cats again, he hurried up to his uncle's throne room, where his brothers were undoubtedly waiting for him to arrive. As expected, his uncle had invited his courtiers to attend the presentation, and Trowa gave a brief but free smile to his brothers when he stood beside them. He caught Heero's surprised look before he was once again called forth to present his diamond, and smiled inwardly at the downright incredulous look on Wufei's face. He had changed greatly in these past six months, all thanks to a little white cat-person, and it was beginning to show to all those surrounding the youngest prince. No longer stood an indifferent and quiet youth full of disinterest and a searching look in his forest green eyes, but a confident and strong young man full of purpose.

Both Wufei and Heero had found truly amazing and tiny diamonds, as was to be expected considering the many unknown adventures both elder princes had and their own focused natures. Treize gave both praise but complained how they were not clear enough for him. Trowa then stepped forward, holding the small walnut in his palm for all to see. This time, the courtiers and ladies were not so quick to laugh and Treize looked positively dreadful. Trowa waited patiently, holding the walnut he had kept so close to his heart out, it's smooth and unblemished shell gleaming faintly.

"Uh, Trowa, I do believe I asked for a small diamond this task, not a walnut."

"Yes, you did, your Grace," Trowa responded. He calmly unstrapped his long knife from his belt and pointed it north, the sharp point placed on the edge of the walnut. With the utmost care, Trowa cracked the walnut open and revealed a very small, impossible clear diamond. The diamond was fully cut and no bigger than a pinprick, and yet Trowa's own cornea was easily reflected in its clear surface, drawing in gasps and exclamations as he displayed the brilliant gem to the court, lastly giving it over to Treize who now looked sick with disappointment. "And I have brought you one."

"Ah, yes, you have, and I cannot deny that is a most magnificent diamond," Treize replied. "Now for my last task I will ask of you, and then I will name the new King of our kingdom. I wish that you all go out and find a young man who will rule this kingdom with you."

Wufei looked taken aback, glancing at both Heero and Trowa before looking forward at Treize again. "Young man? I like women, uncle! Just because you—"

"That is my task, you will have three moons again to bring your suitor back, and the one who finds the most handsome young man will immediately become king!"

Wufei stood there, dumbfounded before he twirled away, cursing in his native language and practically spitting fire at any who got in his way. They heard angry mumbles of perverts and idiots as he rounded the corner and vanished from sight. Heero grunted as he and Trowa made their way out of the chamber. "Well, I'm sure Wufei won't be bringing home a suitable suitor. Do you have one in mind, Trowa?"

Trowa nodded, only half-listening and his mind on making his way back towards Quatre. He had no idea if his uncle would find Quatre 'suitable," for while he was certainly handsome and charming, he wasn't exactly human. Or at least, he didn't appear to be. The more time Trowa spent at the forest manor and the closer he became to Quatre, the more he wasn't quite sure that was true. It was just a feeling he had, but he had been more trusting of his feelings of late, and he felt almost for sure that Quatre was human underneath the snow white fur and tail. Suddenly overcome with an uncontrollable urge to get back to Quatre and somehow help him, despite what Quatre said, Trowa hurriedly said good bye to Heero as he bounded down the stairs and out of the castle, relieved to find the cat carriage there waiting for him. He was in and gone before any could shout his name, leaving only mystified commoners behind and one very perplexed looking brother.

Heero was not quite sure what was going on with Trowa, as he had never seen his youngest foster brother behave like this, but he figured it must have something to do with a boy. Shaking his head, Heero watched the carriage vanish from sight before heading down to fetch his own fair youth and fight off his own enchantment. After all, it is only natural that Heero had his own help from a mysterious and enchanting youth during these trials for that is the way of stories.

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Trowa arrived back at the manor and was immediately greeted by Quatre and hundreds of cats. Relating all that had happened, he and Quatre made their way into the manor, laughing at the amazement of Treize and his ridiculous request of Wufei. Neither made any mention of what this next task would imply for them, but Trowa had a feeling that something was different this trip back. He couldn't explain it, but the entire manor felt as if it was teetering on the precipice of something explosive. The cats were watching him with an intense air and Quatre's eyes, though happy he was there, were troubled and almost constantly and would often drift away, looking towards the distant mountains.

They spent their time in much the same manner as their past visits, Quatre teaching Trowa quite a bit about the faerie magic he had demonstrated numerous times and Trowa teaching Quatre not only how to shoot a bow (despite his clawed fingers) but also how to use a short sword and hunting knife. During his magic lessons, Trowa felt as if he was so very close to discovering the mystery surrounding Quatre and the manor, but every time he would grasp at, it would slip away. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was rushing for the precipice with everyone else so he swore he would be ready. And, as sure as the sun rises, it came.

With only two days until the end of the three moons, Trowa was sitting with Quatre in the middle of the largest gardens at the manor and he took the white cat's clawed hands in his own. "Quatre, it is almost time for me to return to my uncle with a suitor. I came here in hopes that it would be you. I don't care if you are not what my uncle will approve of, but I refuse to look for anyone else. It is only you, Quatre, and I think it will always only be you. I beg of you, come with me."

Quatre's breath hitched and he turned his head to look at the mountains that bordered the edge of a distant land Trowa had only heard of in stories. Those mountains were said to be the homes of many Fey creatures, and has the scraggy peaks rumbled and darkened ominously, Trowa began to believe those legends were truth. Quatre let out a small hiss in worry and anger, tearing his hands away from Trowa's and never taking his eyes from those mountains, or the angry lightning that blasted in wicked streaks of blue and ebony. Quatre whirled back around, hands clenched at his sides, a blazing determination in his blue eyes.

"Trowa, I need you to do something for me."

"What, anything Quatre, you know that—"

"I need you to cut off my head."

Horrified, Trowa took a few steps back, looking at Quatre, mouth moving soundlessly as he tried to comprehend what exactly Quatre had requested. How could he be expected to do such a thing? He'd sooner cut off his own head than kill this beautiful young man! "Wh-what? How can you—"

"Trowa, do you love me?" Quatre was undaunted by Trowa's revulsion, striding forward and yanking Trowa's long knife from its scabbard lying on the ground beside where they had been sitting. He flipped it in his clawed and snowy white hands, holding the pommel out to Trowa, eyes wide and pleading. "Answer me! Do you love me?"

"More than I've loved anything before."

"Then trust me. You once promised to help me that you would help me when I asked for it, well, I am asking now. I need you to do this or else all that we have, everything we have built within our hearts will be gone as soon as the first lightning bolt strikes ground in this garden! If I could spare you this pain, I would, but you are stronger than you can imagine. You do not need me to spare you. Please Trowa, I beg you as ardently as you begged me to come join you. Trust in me."

"I-I- how can you ask this of me?! There is nothing in this world I fear more than losing you, how can you ask me to never have you again?"

Quatre stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Trowa's trembling form, pressing the pommel into Trowa's palm, pressing his lips into Trowa's, pressing his claws into his back. "Trust in me and you will always have me. I love you too, Trowa, but please, cut off my head."

Quatre pulled away and stared right into Trowa's eyes, unwavering and full of unshakeable love and resolve. Trowa's eyes flicked up towards the increasingly violent storm, the lightning striking ever closer to the garden, and then to the hundred of cats that were milling around them. He would rather die than commit this deed asked of him, but he could not resist. He did trust Quatre, he trusted him with his life and his very soul. Before he could change his mind, Trowa hefted up his knife and swung, closing his eyes and letting out a cry as he felt it hit soft flesh and a lightning bolt strike a large oak tree within the garden.

And then, a very marvelous thing happened. Where flesh had been was nothing, prompting Trowa to open his eyes and look to where he was sure to find his slain white cat, but there was only a pile of downy soft white fur. No, there was no body and as he looked around, he saw piles of fur where every single cat had been. Confused and blinking back tears of distress and fear, he almost did not feel the warm hand on his shoulder until it was turning him around to face one of the most beautiful young men he had ever seen. And while it is very possible many would disagree with our prince, Trowa recognized the blue eyes of the man he loved and thought he had killed, so it is completely appropriate that he would think Quatre was more beautiful than any other being living.

However, this Quatre did not look like the one he had been accustomed to for nine months. Gone were the tail and snowy white fur, gone were the fanged canines and downy soft ears, and gone were the claws and triangle nose. Instead, a handsome young man with soft, pale skin and a very human nose and very human everything stood with a bright smile before Trowa, laughing in a sweet tenor devoid of any musical quality. It still sounded like music to Trowa, but we all know the reasons for that.

"Quatre, you're-how did you--?"

"I was enchanted, Trowa." Quatre interrupted. He didn't resist when Trowa yanked him into his arms, instead clutching the tall prince close and threading clawless fingers through his side swept auburn hair. "It was my punishment for disobeying the Faeries. Long ago, my mother was tricked into giving me up to the Faeries who live in the western mountains and…well, let's just say I didn't exactly get along well with those there."

"Why did they want you?"

"My empathy. They covet children with wild magic…it helps bolster their own magic when they mix their blood with ours. I was not the first child they tricked parents into giving over…they raised me as if I was their own, but I knew they weren't. My empathy told me their true intentions and, well, I didn't really want to be married to a troll priestess so I tried to runaway to my family's kingdoms. I wasn't very successful and they punished me by turning me into a humanoid cat until my eighteenth birthday, when they would force me to marry into their bloodlines."

"How long have you been here like this?" Trowa could hardly believe what he was hearing, but after everything that had happened he wasn't about to doubt it. And he felt an overwhelming amount of anger towards the creatures who had tried to force Quatre into something he didn't want and then punishing him the way they had.

"Since I was thirteen. They transformed my family and all our servants and nobles into cats as well, to make me feel worse. The Faeries went even further, stating that if I found a human who could not only love me as a cat but trust me enough to kill me if I asked it of them, then they would relinquish their hold on me, but if the human couldn't do what I asked of him, they would kill him. That's why I never told you, Trowa, I couldn't ask that of you unless I was sure you were strong enough…until you trusted me enough."

They were quiet then for some time, just holding each other and touching, memorizing, feeling, loving. It wasn't until a loud crack startled them out of their peaceful moment, drawing both of their gazes to the burnt and smoldering oak tree where three furious looking faeries were staring at them. Trowa growled and immediately pulled up his long knife, but Quatre whispered feeling of calm and stepped forward, face set and stony as stone.

"You are not welcome here. He has broken your hold on me and you no longer have any power of me or my life!"

The dark skinned faerie with the bright eyes flew forward, so close that she was nearly touching noses with Quatre, but the blue-eyed prince did not budge. "You think you've won, you little prince? All this has done is shown us how quickly you must be locked back away, ungrateful human. Who cared for you as a child, taught you our magic, fed you and clothed you? You are in debt to us--"

"My family would have done that too…and my family would have loved me, not treated me as a means to gaining more power. I will say it again, get out."

The dark skinned faerie hissed and flew back to her flanking sisters, unleashing a powerful blast of colorful power straight towards Trowa and Quatre, but it never met its targets. Quatre brought up his hands and absorbed the energy, whispering an unfamiliar word and directing a bolt of light back towards the shocked faeries. It did not kill them, but their beauty faded into wrinkles and frowns, each looking weaker than a fruit fly. Quatre collected himself and strode to where they lay, eyes cackling in barely suppressed anger and power.

"Remember, you taught me the magic of your people in addition to my own. If you ever threaten my family, Trowa, or any other families of gifted children, I will raze you all to the ground. Leave us be and find your magic from within, there will be no more stealing from us."

The faeries nodded weakly before fleeing as quickly as they had appeared. Quatre stood resolute until they had vanished then he swayed and let out a pained gasp. Trowa dropped his knife and hurried over to steady Quatre, only noticing the cheering and clapping from hundreds of nobles and a family that was unmistakably Quatre's until he had the sick looking blond against his body. He shot Quatre a questioning look as he guided him to his family, which received a rueful grin.

"That was mainly a bluff. I can use their magic with my own, but I'm not very good at using it for very long."

"Reckless," Trowa replied, pressing a quick kiss to Quatre's lips before he turned to greet nearly thirty hysterical blonde women.

"Unfortunately, but you love me anyway."

Trowa grinned, not denying the allegation. After every one greet them and congratulated Trowa on breaking the curse, most importantly Quatre's mother and father who were both welcoming him into their family, he turned to Quatre. "So, is it possible that you could come with me to see my uncle?"

Quatre smiled. "I think I will, and, I have an idea."

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Trowa arrived at his uncle's castle the next morning, with a small blue cushion, carrying it before him as a waiter would carry a tray of food. He walked into his uncle's throne room, nodding to both of his brothers. Wufei huffed an exasperated breath when he saw that Trowa only carried a blue cushion, leaning over to whisper in to an amused looking woman beside him. She was very beautiful, two plaits of honey blonde hair hanging on either side of her face with a slim frame dressed in very man-ish clothing and intelligent blue eyes. Heero looked more amused than exasperated, hand twined into the long chestnut-colored braid of the cheerful young man next to him. The youth flashed Trowa a smile and wave, his violet eyes humored and kind.

"I see you did not heed my instructions, Wufei," Treize began when all the brothers stood before him.

"No, I did not. I already told you, insufferable baka, that I do not like men warming my bed!" The violet eyed boy laughed and gave Wufei a positively evil look. 'This is Sally, a, um, an upstanding woman who I, that it, care for very much…"

"It's a wonder we haven't killed each other yet, your Grace," Sally said with a smirk and cocking her hips. "But, Great Mother save me, I love him and his blustery temper."

Treize nodded and looked at Heero expectantly.

"This is Duo. He's an idiot but—"

"You love me anyway!" Duo finished. He flashed Heero a wicked grin, one to everyone's amazement, made the serious prince blush around the ears. "Nice to meet ya, Treize. I've heard some things but, uh, I won't hold it against you! I'm sure you're a good person and have an okay personality."

Treize looked not only offended but as if Duo morally shook the ground he stood on. He looked to Trowa then, taking in only the blue cushion. "I trust you have a young man hidden somewhere in that cushion."

"Actually, your Grace," Trowa replied. He pulled out a pure white cloth with runes etched onto it in silver and paced it over the cushion, placing both on the ground. "I have something much better. Underneath that cloth is a beautiful White Cat that is so charming and so handsome that he is the envy of the very Fey creatures themselves."

He then pulled off the cloth covering the blue cushion and a rush of wind filled the throne room, and lo where the cushion had been emptied, sat Quatre, cross-legged and dressed in a pair of black billowing pants, a dark blue sash, white shirt covered with an equally dark blue vest. There were gasps all throughout the room, one whoop from Duo who looked on in a knowing fashion, and Quatre raised himself gracefully, blue eyes staring into Treize's amazed ones. He gave a strange bow, one with a strange hand movement before standing up and standing beside Trowa.

"Your Majesty," Quatre began. His voice was calm and his smile charming, flashing Trowa a private, soft look as he linked hands with his. "I speak the truth when I say that I love your nephew more than the stars shine and I also speak the truth when I say your foolish attempts to keep your nephews from taking the throne must stop. They do not wish to put you away and respect you as a ruler. Know that I do not wish to take your kingdom from you and so I propose a different path.

"I have six kingdoms that I am heir too and have no need for another. Keep your kingdom and choose an heir of your choosing when you desire, and let me bestow a kingdom on each of your other nephews. They will rule and you shall as well, and our alliance made from love and friendship will ward off all that may try to defeat us. We are stronger together than apart, is this satisfactory to you?"

Treize looked on in amazement before nodding vigorously, his face breaking into a relieved smile as he gestured excitedly at Zechs. "I do, I absolutely accept!"

"I thank you from the depths of my heart," Quatre said with a small smile. People around broke out in cheers and Trowa yanked the blue eyes prince to where his brothers and their partners were standing.

"A White Cat, uh?" Duo asked with a curious gleam as he looked at the pair, his own arm wrapped around the waist of Heero. "Sounds like quite a story."

"That it is," Trowa responded with a smile at Quatre, staring into those blue eyes that had captivated all those months ago. "But I guess it's mostly just a story about a lost little prince who needed someone to cut off his head." Quatre laughed at the dumbfounded looks on the others' faces, hooking a hand behind Trowa's neck pressing his lips to the taller prince's.

It is easy to imagine what happens after this moment, but the paths in life are ever twisting and peace is fleeting, so perhaps it is harder than you think. It is possible that there was not a happily ever after for our two princes, for with devious faeries, mysterious friends, and unhappy trolls, there is sure to be more strife for them. But take heart, for even though there may be no happily ever after, there is happiness and love, and trust between them so strong that it can weather even a faerie's wrath. Happily ever after is not always the best or even the right ending, and for Quatre and Trowa, why their beginning is just starting! And with that, this tale ends, with two lost, little souls finding one another and themselves, ready to weather their battles and journeys with hands linked and fingers intertwined.

The End


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